The Gateway Through Time
by melodyc0212
Summary: After a little accident with a portal through time from the Rift Village, Sarada Uchiha is taken back to the era when her parents are still her age! Now she must find a way to travel back to where she belongs, return everything to normal, all while evading an evil that is seeking her out for unknown purposes…Time Travel Fanfic! Please rate, review & enjoy!
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hello everybody! This is the very first fan fiction I've written, and I'm probably going to update this on a weekly basis. This story takes place post Boruto the Movie and Naruto Gaiden: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Springs. And of course, along the storyline of the Naruto series.** **Please review this, they help a lot, and of course, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; All that stuff belongs to Kishimoto! This is just a fan fiction.**

Uchiha Sarada. Daughter of Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Uchiha née Haruno, both known as of the strongest people known to the world. Heir to the Uchiha clan, formerly the most powerful clan in the the Leaf Village. Born with famed Sharingan, a great blessing and curse. Possessing the potential of unlocking powers far greater than ever known. Yet also faced with two, very different paths, ones that can change the universe forever. The Will of Fire, and The Curse of Hatred.

That.

Is.

Me.

Yes. Sarada Uchiha. And this is my tale, a tale of love and hate, friends and foes, trust and betrayal, power and weakness, and adventure through time...

 **Author's Note: Too short? Don't worry, I've uploaded Chapter 1. Let me know how you think about this introduction. Thought I would try something different. I don't usually write like this.**


	2. Chapter 1: A Mission to the Rift Village

**Author's Note: Here's Chapter 1! As always, please rate, review, and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; All that stuff belongs to Kishimoto! This is just a fan fiction.**

It was quite a nice morning in the Hidden Leaf Village. The sun was shining, clouds dotted the bright blue sky, and birds flew around chasing each other and singing their birdsong. Everything was peaceful and happy. With one exception.

"Hmm…" Naruto Uzumaki shuffled around the mountain of papers that rested on the office desk, reminding him of the unfinished work he still yet had to do. Sometimes, being hokage was hard. He glanced up on the clock, its minute hand slowly traveling from the eight to the nine. Fifteen minutes to prepare before the teams arrived for their scheduled missions. Naruto sighed and flopped back his chair, swiveling it around to look out the window and at the rock faces of the hokage, their ever-watchful gazes cast upon the village. He smiled. Dad… Mom … Are you watching? Naruto stared at the rocky faces, relieving himself from his work, lost in memories when there was suddenly a sharp rapping on the door, followed by the creaking of the doorknob. "Good morning Naruto. Oh, more legal documents from the feudal lord? What a drag," Shikamaru sighed, closing the door behind him and walking inside the hokage's office. Naruto turned around and casually greeted Shikamaru, all while sneaking a look at the clock above Shikamaru's head. Five minutes. And then his team — Team 7 — would arrive for their due mission.

Team 7 consisted of three people under the Jōnin leader Konohamaru Sarutobi. The genin squad was made up of Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga's son, Boruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno's daughter, Sarada Uchiha, and the ever so mysterious son of Orochimaru, Mitsuki. The previous generation of Team 7 included Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki, all three now powerful in their own ways and well known throughout the shinobi world. Naruto was very proud of his team.

Suddenly, the office door was flung wide open, and a whiskered boy with a mop of messy yellow hair made a beeline for the desk. Slamming his hands down on it, blue eyes sparkling with excitement, he demanded, "Hey Dad—uh, I mean Lord Seventh! Do you have a mission for us today?"

As Naruto opened his mouth to answer, a growl of exasperation was emitted near the doorway as three more people entered. "Geez, Boruto, why don't you calm down a bit and wait for the rest of your team? It's not going to hurt to slow down a bit, shannaro!" Sarada hissed, yanking the collar of his shirt and dragging him to where the rest of his team stood. Konohamaru scratched the back of his head, a lopsided, embarrassed smile plastered on his face. "Err… Yes, about the missions… ," he said, voice trailing off. Naruto sighed. Boruto was an entire carbon copy of himself when he was younger. And Sarada, with her mother's temper… How the times have changed, yet stayed the same.

Naruto shook the computer mouse a few times and began looking through several digital files. "Let's see…Hmm…Well, it looks like there are a several C and D ranked missions, but we are lacking people right now. Hey, how does a B ranked mission sound to you?" Naruto asked. It was a month since the Ōtsutsuki invasion, and most people were occupied with repairing the damaged caused by the pair. Boruto did a little victory dance, and was yelling his head off about how awesome he was when Konohamaru whacked his head and started scolding him and telling him to listen.

"For this particular mission, you have to go to the ruins of the Hidden Rift Village on the border of the Land of Fire and investigate it." Naruto paused. "Ever since about a month ago, the area started emitting strange signals, like energy flares at random points in time, and they have been increasingly more frequent since last week up to today, which actually marks the twentieth year since the Hidden Rift Village's destruction years ago. I want your team to go check it out, and submit a full report on it to me at the end of the day," Naruto said, handing Konohamaru an empty scroll.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Sarada said, waving at Naruto, cheeks tinged with a subtle red blush. Boruto rolled his eyes. Ever since the day Sarada went off to find her father and met Naruto, she had developed a dream of becoming hokage when she was older, too. Naruto waved back at the trio and sensei, wishing them good luck as the door shut behind them. The room suddenly dropped to silence when they left.

"Are you sure sending Team 7 on the B rank mission was a good idea?" Shikamaru asked. "Especially since they are all still genin. Well, Mitsuki and Sarada may be at chūnin level in my opinion, and of course there's Konohamaru, but still—you know what significance and supposed power of the Hidden Rift Village's shrines held when they were still standing. If the mission goes wrong, it can be potentially dangerous even to skilled chūnin!"

Naruto frowned. It was a one in a hundred chance that something could seriously go wrong on the mission, but there was still a probability that would spell gloom and doom, if befallen on the unfortunate team. And fate always seemed to have something in store for the shinobi world to deal with.

"You're right. I probably shouldn't have sent Team 7 on such an advanced mission. I'm sure they'll be fine, though," Naruto replied, even though he was silently worrying about his son Boruto. Boruto acted (as much as Naruto didn't want to admit) exactly like how Naruto did when he was younger; Boruto was rash, loved pulling pranks on his father, and lacked common sense, yet at times he was surprisingly smart, and powerful, too when he was focused. Boruto also had a kind heart even though he was arrogant sometimes, especially around his father.

Shikamaru sighed. "Oh well, can't do much about that now. If it really is necessary, we can always send backup." Just then, Moegi and Udon entered, carrying twin stacks of papers which they piled on the hokage's desk. Naruto groaned. "This will definitely make my day," he said, eyeing the skyscrapers of legal documents and whatnot set upon his desk. "Okay, which stack should I start with?"

 **Author's Note: Thx for reading! Chapter 2 is due for 1/21/17 or earlier!**


	3. Chapter 2: Painful History Lessons

**Author's Note: Sorry! Forget everything I said about weekly updates. They may come in anytime, most likely on weekends. When I feel like it, or when I'm not burdened by homework. As always, Rate, Review, & enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; All that stuff belongs to Kishimoto! This is just a fan fiction.**

"How much farther is it?!" snapped a panting, sweating Boruto. "We're all going to die of dehydration and since we're in the middle of nowhere, our bodies will just rot in this … this hell! Everybody will be worried abo—" Fed up with Boruto's moaning, Sarada raised a fist and brought it over his head.

"Baka! Shut up!"

"Ouch!"

Indifferent to it all, Mitsuki said, "It's just over the hill. There's not much to go." Sarada wiped some sweat off her eyebrow, and started talking with what Boruto called her "super confusing textbook explanations". "The Hidden Rift Village is located in the valley of the Dragon Mountain Range. These natural barriers are part of the reason why it had stood for so long before it was annihilated by enemy attack." She paused, a frown spreading across her face.

"Legend says that this village had a secret time traveling jutsu, passed down for generations. When the sun and moon align, and the stars are in a certain position, they say that a time portal opens within the village and can be used. However, it was closely guarded by the Rift Village's people in the minute that it activated, or so they say. Nobody who has seen it lived to tell the tale," Sarada added, causing Boruto's face to go as pale as a ghost.

Sarada continued. "This was the whole reason why the village was attacked twenty years ago—Rogue ninjas launched an attack hoping to gain access to the rumored time portal for some unknown purpose, but both defender and invaded perished. Or at least, that's what they thought. By the time the Leaf investigators arrived, all that was left were the signs of battle, and of course, the supposed portal through time. Obviously, that was just an assumption, as there were no records of anything that wouldv'e been useful information to figure out what exactly happened."

Konohamaru chuckled and said, "Straight A academy student, eh, Sarada?," causing her to blush a deep scarlet. Jealous, Boruto muttered, "Nerd."

"What was that, dobe?"

"Erm, nothing, nothing really! Just an itchy throat, that's all, uh, yeah believe it!"

"Hn."

"Hey," Mitsuki interrupted, "I think you guys should take a look at this."

The group climbed up to the summit and looked down, momentarily forgetting their argument and enjoying the breathtaking view of the valley. Lush green forestry populated the valley sides, teeming with life, and in the middle was a rather large but not empty clearing. Remnants of a village, the Rift Village could still be seen from the mountaintop; the broken skeletons of houses and buildings, charred and black from flames and bricks lying here and there.

What was most interesting was the center of the village. A loose circle of stone pillars, now with some toppled and chipped, stood there complete with elaborate decorations and symbols etched on each. "Wow," Boruto exclaimed softly. There was simply no other was to put it. Konohamaru sensei smiled and said, "Wow, indeed. So this is what the village looked like without their typical protection barriers and who knows what else that concealed the Rift Village. Shall we go check it out?"


	4. Chapter 3: Thoughts, Memories, & Laughs

**Author's Note: Early Morning (well not really), so I decided to write a couple more chapters. R+R+ enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I** **do not own Naruto; All that stuff belongs to Kishimoto! This is just a fan fiction.**

It was a good hour or two before noon when Team 7 finally reached the village despite beginning the mission early in the morning. Even though the hike down really wasn't that long or treacherous (it was actually quite nice, Sarada thought), they spent a while on checking the area for any still lingering traps and defences as a precaution. Like predicted, there were none, so Sarada reasoned that the traps were probably triggered or deactivated by the enemy or the Konoha investigation squad sent out after the raid.

The group spent quite some time exploring the Rift village. Looking at her surroundings, Sarada concluded that the village probably once held a proud, powerful history, and was greatly feared and revered. Then, they shockingly lost everything due to some unfortunate events, and all that was left were scraps of what they used to be, now spoken only in legends, disappearing and crumbling into the flow of time.

The village reminded Sarada of her clan, the Uchiha clan, or at least she thought it did, for she yet had to ask her father about the details he stubbornly wouldn't reveal. It also made her think: would someone ever build this ruined village up from its ashes and continue its legacy, like Sarada's how parents started doing so for the Uchiha clan's revival by having her, or will it just rest and gradually rot away?

Lost in thoughts, Sarada's foot caught on a loose stone, causing her to stumble. She would've fell if it weren't for Mitsuki, who caught her at the last second. His eyes were wide with concern, and before he could voice his thoughts, Sarada pushed him off and grumbled, "I'm fine," and in a kinder tone, she hastily added a thank you. Boruto was snickering besides her, and she shot a warning glare at him, which very effectively ceased his laughter.

Sarada backtracked and picked up the stone she had kicked and turned it around, examining it. The rock seemed to be semi-transparent, for when she tilted it in the light, some sunlight filtered through even though there were no visible holes in it. It was also quite warm, and the heat seemed to pulsate in the rock every few seconds. Curious little rock. It was beautiful, so she slipped it inside her kunai pouch and quickly caught up with her team, where she found her teammates discussing things in hushed voices. To her surprise, Konohamaru sensei also joined in the conversation. Boruto then leaned over and whispered, "Hey Sarada."

"What?"

"Do you like anyone in particular?"

 _"Ehhhh!?"_

For a moment, Sarada was taken aback at the question. It was never something she'd seriously given thought to. But then, one look at Boruto's face told her that the question would better be left unanswered. So instead, she let a wide smirk replace her shock and said slyly, "Why do you ask? Is it because you know that nobody likes you, and you need some love? Awww…."

To Sarada's satisfaction, Boruto's face was burning red, redder than the Uchiha crest on her back. Konohamaru sensei and Mitsuki were both laughing, and Boruto dipped his head in embarrassment. Sarada let a laugh ring out, leaned into Boruto and whispered something, making his head suddenly pop up like one of Kankuro's puppets. Boruto's face was paling to a paper white tone, which only made them laugh harder. Oh well. He deserved it once in a while, that little no-good idiot obsessed with other people's lives. Cha!

Perhaps Sarada didn't whack Boruto as often as Sakura did Naruto when they were the same age, but she definitely had her own ways.


	5. Chapter 4: When the Clock Strikes Twelve

**Author's Note: If you're wondering about the title, yes, it is a slight reference to Cinderella. I thought it was fitting for this partner of the story. Plz R+R+enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I** **do not own Naruto; All that stuff belongs to Kishimoto! This is just a fan fiction.**

"Whoa." The little band of people had only seen it from afar, but up close, they could see that mysterious columns of stone in the village center were way taller than they'd expected. Upon closer inspection, Sarada realized that the rock she found earlier probably came from these "stone" pillars, though these seemed even more unnaturally alive with energy that they released every so often. She also realized the fact that her stomach was groaning periodically from hunger, too even though her internal clock told her it was only sometime after 11:30 in the morning. They all woke up early, but Sarada didn't get to have breakfast because she didn't want to be late (she slept in because of the solo mission the previous night).

Everybody else was thinking the same thing, and Boruto asked for a short lunch break, which Sarada was secretly grateful for. She'd never admit that she was hungry unless if it started to affect her performance on her mission. As always, her mission was her priority, and food could wait.

Sarada rummaged through her small kunai pouch where she kept her weapons, the rock, and a small rice ball. She didn't need to eat much to fill herself up even though it always felt better (on non-mission days) to eat more than she usually did. However, both Konohamaru sensei and Boruto had somehow packed entire bowls of instant ramen while Mitsuki was eating scrambled eggs and something she couldn't identify. Mitsuki was kind, but he was a little weird and creepy, like his father/ mother/ parent Orochimaru.

Walking to the center of the stone giants' circle, she pushed a small pillar into standing position and sat on it. Surprisingly, all of the twelve largest columns still stood tall and proud, and only a few smaller ones in the inner circle had fallen. Judging by a gap between two of the columns, one of them was missing. Then she noticed an Arabic number written on the tile a missing column probably stood on. Or maybe there wasn't even one there in the first place, for the rest of the pillars seemed rather undisturbed. The tile number looked like… Sarada squinted. A twenty? Sarada chewed on her rice ball, savoring the sweet, salty taste as she pondered thoughtfully and came up with several theories on what that may have meant.

Some five minutes later, Boruto bounded over and said, "Sarada-chan, what are you looking at? Hey, this stuff looks fancy," and he started running around in the stone circle, examining every nook and cranny on the tall pillars. Then, he started uprighting all of the fallen columns. Sarada narrowed her eyes and was about to tell him to cut that out when Boruto pushed the last one into place. Dusting his hands, he proclaimed proudly, "Now this looks a lot better, believe it!" and he ran out of the circle to where Konohamaru sensei and Mitsuki were sitting fifty feet away.

Sarada slid off her temporary "chair" and was about to follow Boruto and give him a piece of her mind when the stones around her suddenly glowed, brighter than the sun itself, blinding her and throwing her sense of balance off. It was then that she realized she was sitting in the dead center of the circle, the sun directly above her head, at its zenith. Dizzy from the fall, her ankle screaming in pain, all she did was watch with a dazed fascination and horror as the stones started changing color, shifting her view along with it. The last thing she remembered was the desperate shouting of her sensei, Mitsuki and Boruto, the latter being the loudest as she passed out into blissful nothingness.


	6. Chapter 5: Questions and Surprises

**Author's Note: I know all the chapters so far have been really short—they're just stepping stones to lead up to the plot. I'd say that from this point on, most of them will be longer. Also, thanks to everybody who is reading this story—I honestly didn't expect this many readers in just four days.**

 **Disclaimer: I** **do not own Naruto; All that stuff belongs to Kishimoto! This is just a fan fiction.**

Sarada awoke to frantic shouting and footsteps of people scurrying around. A pair of strong arms then slid behind her back and lifted her up, bridal style and her glasses were placed back onto her face. Then, she heard something that sounded like, "When is she from? Oh, this isn't good!" while she was being carried. Sarada didn't have any strength to resist, her ankle hurt as if thousand needles biting into it, and besides, the person (she assumed the person was a she) carrying her kept on muttering, "Oh, you poor girl! Traveling always leaves them like this. But where are you from? Not one of our villagers… At least, not one I recognize… how did she even access it?"

Another voice broke in. "Kiku, look at the headband. She's a Leaf ninja. It's relatively new, and she's really young. Maybe she's an academy graduate?" Sarada's eyelids fluttered open to see the the man and Kiku's young face peering down at her. Kiku seemed to be in her twenties, her face brightening into a joyous smile when Sarada looked at her. But behind the outward beauty and kindness showed years of hardship, experience and loss, concealed and hidden away. This woman was a warrior, reminding Sarada of her own mother, even though it was only—well, actually Sarada had no clue how much time passed since the last time they saw. That scared her.

The woman was carrying Sarada through rows of houses and buildings she could tell were carefully planned out. As they scurried through the streets, many people, all wearing the same attire of robes with different embroidery glanced in their direction and whispered to each other in hushed voices. More people ran about, Sarada noticed, most heading for a particularly large building with a symbol resembling a circle with a jagged bolt slashed through it. She didn't have time to dwell on it, for she was brought into a brightly lit building blocks away from the large building. Some form of a hospital, Sarada realized.

Kiku set Sarada down on a soft bed. "Are you okay?" Kiku asked, concern evident in her face as she traced Sarada's face. A green glow lit up from her finger; medical ninjutsu. Sarada nodded and croaked, "Water," and quickly added a "Please." Her throat was sore and burning, her ankle killing her from the pain, even though she wore her usual stoic expression that gave away nothing. Thankfully, the man, also a healer, had begun to attend to it. Kiku then brought over a glass of water, which Sarada drained in a matter of seconds.

"Thank you for the water."

By now, the man had finished with her ankle, which no longer hurt, which Sarada was grateful for. "Thank you...uh…" "Kamiro," the man interjected with a smile that Sarada hesitantly returned. "Little girl, what is your name?"

"Sarada," she responded.

"Hello Sarada. Nice to meet you. You already know my name, and this lady over here is Kiku." Kamiro paused and asked in a carefully controlled tone." You're from the Leaf Village, right?" Sarada nodded, unsure where this was going. She was in an unknown place, with two strangers she knew nothing about except their names. Who were kind to her, but Sarada didn't know if their care was genuine—or if it was just an act. Kamiro swallowed, glanced at Kiku, who gave an encouraging half-smile, and went on with another question. "How many faces are on the Hokage Monument from when you last remembered?" Sarada narrowed her eyes and answered, "Seven."

Kamiro and Kiku's faces both expressed fear and surprise, but not panic. It was as if they'd been expecting a similar response. Kiku drew a deep breath and said, "Looks like there's some explanations that need to be done. Kamiro, please report this." She stared straight into Sarada's wide, confused eyes and broke into a half smile. "Well, in the meantime, Sarada, welcome to the Rift Village."

 **Author's Note: I know, it's a cliffhanger… Sorry! XD**

 **How did you like it? Please Rate & Review the story, that'll help a lot.**


	7. Chapter 6: Kiku's Explanations

**Author's Note: Not too much in this chapter, the next one will probably be more exciting. Plz R+R+enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I** **do not own Naruto; All that stuff belongs to Kishimoto! This is just a fan fiction.**

 _The Rift Village. Last time I checked, the Rift Village was a mess of broken things, a shadow, a relic of a village. Am I under a genjutsu?_

 _I hope I am._

Kiku was studying Sarada's face closely. "If you want to rest Sarada, you can. I'll leave you here for the rest of the day. But you will be watched at all times by someone," Kiku said, "Or you can come with me and explore the village. I can explain and show some things to you. We might as well check on some things as we go. Your pick."

Sarada replied hurriedly, "I'll go." The alternative seemed dull to her, as a Sarada wanted to know more about why and more importantly, how she was here. Besides, having someone standing over her and watching, a falcon eyeing a mouse, was an uncomfortable thought. She wouldn't be able to get a wink of sleep anyway. And she desperately needed some answers.

A smile broke over Kiku's face. She'd been given the answer she wanted. "Then let's go! Can you walk yet? Take a few steps, I'll hold your hand." Kamiro had done a top-notch job, rivaling her mom's own handiwork. It was like she never hurt herself at all. "I'm fine, I can walk," Sarada replied, but took Kiku's hand anyway. Unsure of how to ask, Sarada simply said, "I have a question."

Kiku laughed, her voice tinkling and bright. "You mean several questions. How about this: I'll explain what I can explain and answer what I think you'll ask. Then, if you have any questions at the end, feel free to speak your mind. Okay?" Sarada nodded.

"I take it that you're probably wondering why and how you're here." Kiku looked at Sarada straight in the eyes, the sheer intensity scaring her. "This information I am going to reveal is a closely guarded secret of the Rift Village, so know that you will be kept here and watched for a few days before you can go, or stay if you wish. As much as I don't want to think or say, you're a prisoner here."

Sarada frowned. Oh well, a price to pay for information. Which, at the moment seemed more urgent than her imprisonment. Kiku took a deep breath, and her shoulders sagged, her grip tightening around Sarada's fingers as she was pulled alongside her through the village.

"You said there were seven hokage in the Leaf Village." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement. "Well, last time we checked, there were only four hokage. And the last time was five minutes ago. You can't miss it for miles around." Sarada's heart plummeted. Legends and myths she had read about the Rift Village whirled around in her mind, accompanied by the recent memories of her mission. Recent? She didn't know what that word meant anymore.

Everything seemed so real, so fake at the same time. Here, she was standing in a village alive and bustling with activity that was dead and empty. Talking with a woman that was living yet dead, too. Sarada felt sick and confused, faced with a situation she couldn't make sense of. A reassuring hand was placed on Sarada's shoulder, an anchor that tethered the ship down from sailing away. Sailing to the borders of what may be insanity.

"Don't worry, I know it feels weird after traveling through time; I have had the honor to do this twice myself." Sarada mouthed a silent "Oh." "Know that you are not the first. Our people drop in and out of time, but always from the village, always in the village. But—" Kiku's voice caught. "You are the first Traveler…Not from here. Let me explain in more detail on how this works, and a little bit of the Rift's history."

"You see, the Rift Village is a truly ancient village, long before the Hidden Leaf. As legend goes, the founders of this village were made up of twelve people. Twelve people said to be descendants of the Sage of the Six Paths himself. Like the Sage, this group of people sought peace and wanted to preserve it. They were also very powerful. So they created a hidden, secret village, shielded from wars, hate and destruction. Shielded by time itself."

Sarada's face widened in awe. "How does it work?" Sarada bursted out loud, unable to rein her curiosity and her natural affinity for wanting to know every detail and every scrap of information about things. She supposed it was a habit developed after her parents and everyone refused to tell her more about the Uchiha clan. Her damn father had even taken measures to loot the entire Uchiha compound of anything from the time of the clan's mysterious death. That was as she knew about. And that her late Uncle Itachi was a good man; that's where the occasional forehead taps her parents would give her came from.

Kiku laughed gently. "That I can't tell you. At least, not yet. But the portal was created for a reason. Our founders supposedly bewitched twelve stones into a portal that could take the users in and out through time. Not just the users, but the entire village, too. This was the village's greatest defense, being able to slip in and out between timelines, our people never interacting with the outside world unless disguised. In other words, passerbys who come to the village once and never find it again. Appearing only in myths and legends, to those even fortunate enough to stumble upon this village. A truly amazing feat."

"Mmmm. Where are we going?"

"To Ayako's. We should get you some spare clothes and have you change out of your current outfit."

Sarada heard the double meaning behind Kiku's words. Yes, her qipao was dirty and needed to be changed, but more so because it bore something dangerous from this time period: the sign of her blood, the Uchiha fan. If her estimations were correct, there were no other living Uchiha other than her father and uncle. Not good.

She was glad, however, that Kiku refrained from bringing up the subject.

Kiku picked up a set of robe and a spare, embroidered with a simple white stripe down the middle unlike Kiku's, who had a dark blue and Ayako who had a bright yellow. On the back was again the symbol she'd seen on many buildings outside: the circle with the slash through it, which Sarada assumed was the village's sign. Like the leaf of her headband which reminded her of the home that she left behind.

"What do the colored stripes mean?"

"The colors represent your rank and job among the village. The darker the color, the higher your position among others is. I am a swordsman, and I also make swords, so I am in the upper class of the village. Any apprentices, or people in training have a white stripe and their to-be position's color. Your robes are white, like many others, which signifies that you have no profession or training for one. Basically, you are a commoner of the city. By all means, that does not mean you are bad, though. That reminds me! Sarada, how would you like to have a little sparring match when we go back? You've had some training, I presume?"

"Yes, Kiku-san."

Kiku raised her eyebrow slightly at the suffix. She'd never been Kiku-san before; it was always Kiku or Kiku-chan, as she was among the youngest of most people who had such a high rank. She liked it. "Let's go, Sarada-chan!"


	8. Chapter 7: A Sparring Match

**Author's Note: This is a really quick chapter, I've been hitting a writer's block that I'm not sure how to break... I might have to deviate a bit from the original plot. Oh well, hope it works out. R+R+enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I** **do not own Naruto; All that stuff belongs to Kishimoto! This is just a fan fiction.**

Kiku led Sarada through a maze of racks upon racks of swords of various sizes, shapes, and styles. She caught Sarada running her fingers along a sword blade's flat edge, and then grasping the hilt of another before quickly setting it down with a blush when their eyes crossed from the weapons' reflection. There were so many swords and they were polished so cleanly that everywhere they walked was a mirror of themselves. Through them, Kiku was observing Sarada closely, who was wandering around as curious as a puppy.

"Would you like to try one out?"

"Umm…No thanks. These ones don't seem to fit my style."

"Ah. So did want a sword. Perhaps I can make you one if you do well against me?"

That got Sarada's interest; her head perked up and she started walking faster. "Kiku-san?"

"Yes?"

"If I do well," Sarada blushed shyly. "Can you train me in kenjutsu, too?"

Kiku smiled and tousled Sarada's hair like her late parents used to do to her so often. "This way."

She led Sarada to the back of the shop where a large expanse of land lay. Scars of previous battles and training were marked onto the surroundings: Deep gouges on trees, scorched grass, and craters here and there. "Sarada-chan, you can use anything you want—weapons, ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu—come at me like your life is in danger." Sarada arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Wouldn't that be a bit…too much?"

Kiku laughed her tinkling laugh. "That depends," she replied and drew her katana from the scabbard. It was beautiful, its hilt made from relatively simple leather bindings but with a crystallized chrysanthemum, her namesake, embedded at the pommel. As Kiku tilted the blade in the sun, Sarada could make out patterns of more intricately carved chrysanthemum flowers.

Sarada grasped several kunai from her pouch, then dropped them. Sarada figured, as her mom taught her (who she sorely missed) it would be best to observe her opponent first before making any moves. Exploiting any weaknesses, no matter how small, would be an advantage. _She's smart_ , thought Kiku. _Waiting for me to make the first move so she can find a counterattack._ Kiku then brandished her sword and swung it at Sarada. A test of her agility, for the speed of the swing would've given a nasty cut to most unwary people or beginners. To her satisfaction, Sarada avoided it easily, almost like she was expecting the sword to come at her. Two more swipes and dodges. _Nice reflexes_.

Just then, Sarada pulled back a fist and swung it at Kiku, which she caught with an open palm. Kiku jolted back. There was quite the amount of chakra packed into it. If it weren't for her leather gloves enchanted with protection seals against damage—making swords was quite dangerous sometimes—she suspected the hit would've shattered her hand's bones. To have such precise chakra control at a young age, the young Uchiha was quite talented. The girl then flicked out a kunai, stabbing it at Kiku, a speed matching hers. She narrowed her eyes. Time to stop messing around.

Kiku caught the kunai with the flat of her blade and twisted, dislodging the knife from Sarada's hands. She blinked in surprise, and leapt back, barely dodging the metal that cut the air in front of her. Then—snake, tiger, monkey, boar, horse, tiger— _Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!_ A burst of flame spewed out from Sarada's mouth at Kiku. She channeled her chakra into her sword and swung it at the mass of fire. A gale of wind blew the fire back at Sarada, which she avoided. Another few strikes and parries of sword to kunai, arm to hand. _Sarada is extremely fast, but she doesn't react at a speed that logically matches up to it. I wonder how she even trains to be so fast when her senses don't catch up to it. It must be extremely tiring and ineffective; she's already straining to keep up_. Then, the thought hit Kiku like a lightening bolt. _Unless Sarada's hiding something. Unless if she has…that's impossible though. No woman in decades has had the ability!_

But then, the world turned upside down for Kiku as the blades crossed again. Both females' faces inches from each other, arms straining against each other, glaring at each other, eye to eye. Her coffee brown eyes met Sarada's onyx black ones. No. It was rather the coffee brown eyes to the crimson red eyes, dotted with two black tomoe...

 **Author's Note: I tried writing with a bit from Kiku's perspective. And of course, here is another cliffhanger! Next chapter will go into more detail on Kiku's fear of the Sharingan**

 **Here's some terms I want to clarify:**

 **-kenjutsu= sword fighting**

 **-Kiku means "Chrysanthemum" in Japanese**

 **-"Katon: Goukyuu no Jutsu" means, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" In the Gaiden and Boruto: Naruto the Movie, Sarada isn't shown to have specific ninjutsu skills but I need this story, she will possess the Fire release, Lightning release, and Yin release.**

 **-"tomoe" look like commas or apostrophes. It just sounds better in my opinion in terms of writing. In case if you havem't figured it out, Sarada has revealed her two tomoe Sharingan. I know in the manga and movie she only has one tomoe, but let's just say that something happened in the passing few months that caused the awakening of her second stage of the Sharingan.**


	9. Chapter 8: Sharingan Secrets

**Author's Note: Sorry, haven't posted in a while, but here is my take on the Sharingan history from the point of** **Kiku in her childhood stages, and then it ties tp the present as Kiku retells this to Sarada. Yes, the Rift Village also has a long established sense of a school, much like the Academy, only that they don't teach only ninjutsu, but rather a portion in each profession avaliable in the Rift Village. They also study history of not only the Rift, but also major world events from pretty much Kaguya's time to the present, and the Leaf village's history.**

 **Disclaimer: I** **do not own Naruto; All that stuff belongs to Kishimoto! This is just a fan fiction.**

 _"Kaa-San?"_

 _"Yes, Kiku-chan?"_

 _"Can I ask you something?"_

 _Kiku was studying the history of the Leaf Village for the test she had tomorrow. The school teacher, Yuri-san had given them a study guide for it._

 _"Have there ever been any female Uchiha who have awakened the Sharingan? All the famous members of the clan like Kagami Uchiha are male."_

 _Kiku's mother turned around and looked at her. She sighed and sat down the little girl, the mother-daughter couple. "Are you learning about the Leaf Village's most famous clans?" A nod. "This may take a bit to explain_."

 _"They say that the Uchiha clan was descended from the Sage of the Six Path's elder son, Indra. And the Sage was descended from the Goddess, whom we know as Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. She was the first to have some version of the Sharingan, and her powers were transferred mainly to the two clans, the Uchiha and Senju. Apparently the chance of a Sharingan manifesting in women is one in several hundred. However, when that happens, their doujutsu is stronger than those of the men. So strong they were feared by their own clan, but definitely a very rare occurrence. Also, one of our village's founders was an female Uchiha, did you know that?"_

 _The little girl's eyes sparkled. She tilted her head and commented, "Cool! Who were they? Do you know any of them?"_

 _The elder woman smiled and said, "The Uchiha are quite nice people. I don't exactly know why, but our village and the Uchiha have always been on good terms for a long time. I've met some of them before at the village outskirts and inside the Leaf on a few occasions. Okay, here's a question for you: why is the Leaf Village one of the villages we even interact with, even so, very rarely?"_

 _Kiku frowned, and then her face lit up. "I know! It's because we signed a treaty with the first hokage Hashirama Senju. They agreed to keep knowledge and whereabouts of our village secret, and offer protection if we needed it. In turn, we would provide them with information from the other lands. See, Kaa-san, I did study," Kiku said proudly._

 _"Good girl! Well, any other questions?"_

 _"No, Kaa-san. Thank you."_

* * *

"Thank you," Sarada Uchiha said to Kiku.

Sarada sat besides Kiku, fingering a scrap of her clothes as Kiku healed the wounds she had received. In her head, Sarada replayed their battle over and over again, flushing out the reasons why she'd lost. In the back of her mind, Kiku's voice echoed, telling her about the Uchiha's history, a subject that her parents had barricaded. Sarada knew from the start that showing her Sharingan was something she never should have done; it had slipped in the midst of battle. She absolutely despised the looks she was given when she used it—they were poisonous glares of surprise, jealousy, mistrust, fear, and mostly of hate. A hate she yet had to experience to understand, for she didn't know what she had done to anger them such. It was as if her presence was a curse among those who met her.

Kiku's reaction could say, at the least, somewhat expected. At least she didn't display the hate that Sarada had braced herself for. Still, Sarada was frustrated with herself, her anger raging within her like a tiger in a cage. Afterwards, however, she decided to release the tiger and go all out. Only then did it occur to Sarada how good Kiku was when she was serious. In a fight using only kenjutsu, Sarada thought that she would definitely beat her dad by a no small measure, which fueled another desire to learn under Kiku. If she would accept Sarada. She hoped Kiku would; Why else would she bother telling a whole story of the Uchiha's past if she didn't take interest in one?

At least, that's what Sarada hoped.

Now, Kiku knew that she possessed the Sharingan. It was only a matter of time before the questions came, but strangely enough, they didn't.

For some reason, Kiku seemed rather reluctant to discuss anything about Sarada's kekkei genkei. Sarada assumed that Kiku was probably also lost in her own thoughts too about her inheritance. Or maybe she had her own secrets to protect. Whatever the reason, Sarada was glad, but at the end, her curiosity gave in and she asked, "Kiku-san, why aren't you…curious about my Sharingan? My origins? Everything about me?"

The young woman smiled. There was something else to the smile that Sarada couldn't perceive. "I am extremely curious about you. However, the less I know, the less we know, would be better for all of us. I think the Rift Council is already arranging your trip back home. Your lucky that the portal's opening time is soon. If you miss the boat, you may be stuck here for…hmm… let's say some twenty years." Sarada paled. "And of course, it is not my position to pry into your secrets. What I know will only be from what you let me know. In return, I will expect you to not spill my secrets as well." Kiku lifted her hand from Saraa's leg. "Did I miss wounds?"

"No. I'm fine," Sarada assured. Worry was washed away from Kiku's face like dirt from a typhoon. "I'll take you to my house. I can cook dinner for the two of us, and there's room for you to sleep. Tomorrow is a big day for you." Kiku sighed. "I'll try to help you any way I can, but I don't know what the Rift Village's council will do. Come on, let's go."

 **Authors' Note: Big day tomorrow for Kiku, Sarada, and me as well. *Sigh* I might make a guidebook for the Rift Village or timeline in gemeral; might be easier for you to follow the storyline.** **I'll try to keep this posted up and going, but I've got busy weekdays and weekends ahead. Well, see you guys in the meantime! Please R+R, hope you like it!**


	10. Chapter 9: Onee-san?

**Author's Note: Hiya guys! Sorry it's been a week since I last updated. 2 reasons: a)I was busy and b)these stories/ chapters with a "deeper" feeling to it are harder to write. I hope I did a decent job. Well, plz R+R+enjoy it!**

"Itadakimasu."

Kiku and Sarada sat across from each from each other on a plain wooden table, but was laden with food. "This is really good, Kiku-san!" Sarada exclaimed, causing Kiku to blush. "Oh, it's nothing! My mother cooks way better than I do." Then, both of them glanced at the two vacant seats at the other end of the table, and ate the rest of the meal in silence.

Kiku slid a door open. "You can sleep here," Kiku said motioning towards the empty bed. "I'll be right back with some sheets." The room had obviously not been used in a while. But it was still quite nice, with a very traditional style room unlike Sarada's previous houses. She'd honestly lost track of how many she'd moved and lived through, given the combination of her mother's short tempers and inhuman strength.

Sarada paced around the room. Old, yellowed photographs with frayed edges blanketed the walls. She could make out several smiling people in them, on closer inspection, what appeared to be young versions of Kiku. A man and a woman holding an infant, a toddler holding onto the hands to two people, and the rest being a child with her mother. Wait, not yet. The newest photo bore a lone teenager in navy blue robes, sword at the hip, holding a bouquet of flowers. Kiku, maybe a few years ago.

A lone beam of silver moonlight shone through the window. Sarada pushed it open, wincing as its rusty hinges groaned loudly. There, the moon hung, high in the sky, taking its nightly shift of watching the world from its perch. She reached out a single finger, as if she could touch it. Sarada vaguely remembered a story of Uncle Naruto rescuing Aunt Hinata from the moon or something like that. They'd said that the moon was beautiful.

It made her homesick.

All her life, Sarada had always been in the Leaf Village, never making any long journeys out to the real world (except for her little trip to find her father). Her mother and Uncle Naruto had always kept close watch over her. All other times, she'd have been at the Academy, or with Team 7, but Sarada was never truly alone. She missed them dearly.

Crystal tears trailed down from her face and puddled on the dusty windowsill. Suddenly, Sarada realized that she'd activated her Sharingan, but she didn't bother to put it away. Footsteps echoed as Kiku entered the room from behind her, but Sarada made no move to acknowledge her presence. A thump echoed from the bed; Kiku had thrown the heap of blankets down on it and walked towards her.

A comforting hand was laid on Sarada's shoulder, and Kiku led a crying Sarada onto the bed. She pulled Sarada onto her lap and squeezed her tightly. Nor did Sarada try to resist. Instead, she fingered the bracelet Kiku was wearing on her wrist, all while the drops of water fell from her face soundlessly, pooling themselves on Kiku's leg and on the floor. Then, more drops joined Sarada's. She looked up in surprise to see that Kiku's eyes were full of liquid, and in them, the reflection of her teary red eyes.

A thumb brushed away the tears from Sarada's face, a gesture of pity, comfort, and affection. "Do you miss them?"

Sarada's eyes flitted away. "Yes," she said and she broke down sobbing, the emotions she'd kept in check all flowing free. "I-I miss my friends, my teammates, my sensei, my uncle, my aunt, my dad, and my mom! I miss…everybody."

Kiku knew that feeling. She leaned her head against Sarada's, and for a minute, two young women were sharing their emotions together. Then, Kiku made up her mind to do something for Sarada. She'd always known that she was born for it, but never gotten the chance because of her father's early death and mother's decision to leave it the way it was, to raise her as a single child...

"Sarada-chan?"

No response. Only quiet sniffles.

Kiku hesitated. This could go seriously wrong. But it was worth an attempt. Deep down, she didn't know why she was so attracted to the girl; they barely knew each other for a day. At the same time, though, it seemed like fate had destined them to meet, like she'd been sent here just for this to happen. Kiku held onto that thought as she drew a deep breath. "Sarada-chan, you don't have to call me Kiku-san anymore. If you want…I can be Onee-san to you instead. So you have know there is someone who is willing to watch your back, to care for you while you're away from home."

Silence followed Kiku's declaration. Sarada turned around, the Sharingan boring into her eyes. She met them. To show that she was willing to face whatever troubles that may arise from it, that she would take the risk.

"Onee-san?" Sarada said it in a way as if the words were foreign to her. She looked away from Kiku and instead into the cloudless night. Kiku shifted nervously.

What Sarada did next could be described as somewhat unexpected. She leaped onto Kiku, knocking her backwards on the bed, sobbing her heart out on Kiku's chest. Kiku wrapped her arms around Sarada's waist and held on tight. She was never going to let go, like she did to her parents. If anything, it would be Sarada who made that choice for her. Kiku felt the great responsibility Sarada had placed on her. It would be a chance for her to make up for her past mistakes, or add to them, but she swore not to let Sarada down. "It's okay, Sarada-chan," Kiku whispered softly, "I'll be here for you. Always. Don't be afraid to ask for anything, 'kay?"

Sarada turned her head, resting her chin briefly on Kiku's stomach before pulling herself to a sitting position by Kiku, who did the same. "I-Nobody had really offered to support me before," Sarada said, still leaning on Kiku. "Not even the people who are now my closest friends. In the beginning, at my first days of the Academy, most people avoided me. I was known as the smartest kid in my class, nerd sometimes to certain people. At that time, my best friends were books. Outside of school...the people mostly act the same. I still don't understand why, but some of them hate me. I would get glares from across the street, shops would never have what I want, and others would close down when I came by. They're nice to my mom, but not me, unless if she's around. It's like I have a certain sort of disease, and I think it comes from the symbol on my back. The symbol of the Uchiha. The thing that separates me from the others. From everyone," she said, resting her chin on her knees.

Kiku placed her hand on Sarada' forehead and pushed it back, looking straight into her crimson Sharingan. They were beautiful, yet deep down, it was full of an anguish that must've been wearing her down for a while now, mentally and physically. Eyes that reflected the heart, that was what her mother called it. To love so deeply, to feel its loss at a whole another extent, and to change from colors of pure white to shades of black, newfound powers birthed from the darkness…

"Sarada. It's okay if everybody hates you; just give it time, effort, and your care and love to earn the trust and love of them back. But," Kiku said, pulling Sarada close into her, "I'll help you through it. Like a sister would for you." Then she patted Sarada on the head, adjusted her glasses for her, and smiled at her. After a brief moment of hesitation, Sarada returned the smile. Kiku's eyes flicked to the wall, where the little girl of herself stood, grinning and showing her two wide front teeth. It had been so long since the last time she'd smiled like that, truly happy for once. Every single one of hers now had a tinge of sadness and anger to it. Except the one she just gave and received from Sarada, a true expression of happiness, one that she hoped to keep forever.

 **Author's Note: In Japanese tradition, you say "Itadakimasu" which means something along the lines of "I greatly recieve this food" before eating. Also, the thing about Naruto, Hinata and the moon is a reference to Naruto: The Last, if you didn't watch it. Well, see you next time.**


	11. Chapter 10: A Sword for Sarada

**Author's Note: Hey guys, it's been a month since I've last updated, though it doesn seem like forever. It's been kind of hard finding gaps within my busy school schedule to write this out, since it is longer that my previous chapters. I'll try to write as often as I can, and as the mood strikes it. From now on, I will also be trying to do longer chapters because my previous ones have been awefully short. Well, enough of a explanation already, hope you R+R+ enjoy! Actually, one last thing, before I forget, if you ever have another idea for a chapter title, please let me know through the comments. Some of my chapter titles aren't that great, and other ideas would be helpful as well. Thx!**

Sarada woke to a sound of heavy drumming on the windows, roof, and practically everywhere around her. Rain. She could smell the faint, soothing and familiar aroma of tea in the air. Out of instinct, Sarada reached for the space by her head for her glasses, but to her surprise, all she got was a handful of cloth and fabric. Then everything hit her, as if a bucket of cold water had been splashed across her face. A chill seeped through her bones, traveling down her spine all the way to her toes as she remembered the past day's events; the screams of her dearest friends Mitsuki, (as much as she didn't want to admit) Boruto, and Konohamaru sensei. Her foot twitched as she recalled the injury that was already long gone, but another pain remained.

It was the one that hurt in her heart, the knife that drove straight it, making her chest ache like crazy. She sat up and pulled the sheets into a spiral around her, clutching one end of it by her neck. _It's like I'm caught i the eye of a storm_ , Sarada thought. _One wrong move and I'll be sucked out and thrown to who knows where? Well, only thing I'm sure of is that would only mean trouble. I wonder when I'll be able to see my family friends again. Mama and Papa must be going crazy over me_. A slightly humorous part of herself added, _Now that I think about it, Papa left already, but Mama will most definitely beat up Uncle Naruto and Boruto. I wonder what that looks like? The Seventh Hokage versus my mom… In this situation, he'll lose for sure. I've read and heard so many stories but I haven't actually witnessed any._

Sarada ended up using her Sharingan's 20/20 vision to find her glasses, because judging from prior experience, it would take way too long of a time of stumbling, tripping, and fumbling around in her blurred eyesight. Especially since she was in an unfamiliar setting, she did not want to break anything. Thankfully, they'd been placed in an easy to spot and reach position at the top of a drawer. Kiku must've removed them for me, because I don't remember taking them off. All she did remember was lying in the bed besides Kiku for a while, finally relieved of her mental distress before falling asleep besides her. Ninja instincts told her to never let your guard down near strangers, and to absolutely not sleep while in the mercy of them. For some strange reason, Kiku seemed rather gentle and eager to help her from the very start. _That could've all been and act to get you to like her_ , Sarada's inner voice countered. However…

 _"When two first-class ninja exchange blows, they can read each other's minds, see into each others hearts. There is no need for words._ " Sarada didn't know where she'd learned it from (however, it most likely from one of the hundreds of books she spent hours pouring over in her free time at the Konoha library). _See into their heart...Kiku's heart. Am I already a first class ninja?_ That was the only explanation for the "pictures" she envisioned lately whenever she used her Sharingan; precisely, when she fought with the Sharingan starting from about a month ago.

Sarada frowned lifted her hand so that her thumb and the knuckles of her pointer finger rested on her bottom lip. Her mother often dubbed it as one of her various thinking positions. _What I saw and felt…_ Images flashed in her head. She saw herself next to another child about her age. Kiku, age twelve. Then, there was a strong feeling of love and fierce protection, the feeling she did not understand why it was directed at her. The last thing she saw from Kiku's heart, she thought was more like a premonition, rather. It was simply so disturbing, she did not want to think of it, yet so intriguing that Sarada wanted to ponder and work out the possible meanings of it…

From afar, she heard the sound of a chair being pushed back, and approaching footsteps following shortly after that, distracting Sarada from her thoughts. Like she did so many times before, she laid back down on the bed, pulled up the blankets, and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She could hear the doorknob turn when she felt a sudden burst of panic. _Shannaro! My glasses! I forgot to take them off! Too late now_ , she thought as Kiku stepped inside. A few seconds of silence passed, then a light tap on her glasses almost made her jump. "Sarada-chan, what are you doing? You know, you can come out for breakfast if you feel like it." Sarada opened her eyes and blinked. _Well, that didn't work out. Not that I was really expecting that little ploy to…_

"Ummm," Sarada stammered, her head spinning as she thought of possible excuses. "I was...I woke up a bit early but I was still tired, so I tried to sleep," Sarada said, hoping that the her little fib would work, but her mother always said she was like an open book. Kiku raised an eyebrow, and then burst into laughter. "Liar," she accused, and tousled Sarada's short hair. "Even I did better than that when I was your age. Well, you can say that I found a trick to it. Try keeping a straight face, and hold eye contact. Not that that would work on me, but you can go ahead and try it. It fooled my teachers, but not my mom." She chuckled lightly. "How about you help me with breakfast instead of sleeping in with your glasses on, or doing whatever you had been doing? Come on."

Sarada followed Kiku down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Here, go set this on the table," Kiku said, handing Sarada the pot of boiling tea. For the next half an hour, the two were running about the house, and it was only until Sarada was starting to sweat from the heat of the cooking and activity was breakfast ready. Her stomach was already growling with hunger as she poured herself a cup of warm, black tea, her favorite. Kiku was sitting across from her, chewing on a pastry fresh from the oven. The atmosphere quieted down, and Sarada realized that it was still raining horrendously outside. She peeked out the window; dark sky, dark ground and wet everything.

"The rain's crazy, isn't it? There's always crazy weather before and after the portal's opening time. Probably the energy released is messing with the atmosphere or something. I don't remember the details, but I believe I have the textbook in the living room." Kiku paused, taking a sip of tea. "I received a message this morning that the meeting with the Council has been rescheduled to this afternoon. Poor messenger, coming all the way here through the rain just to deliver these news. Anyways, I'm the only one that's going, you can stay here or go explore the village. I'll give you some money. There's a market, some stores, a park, a library, and several other places that I can't think of at the top of my head. But for now, we're going to go somewhere else," Kiku said, her eyes twinkling. Sarada's head perked up. "Where?"

"Oh, you'll find out. Go get a change of clothes first. They're in the top drawer upstairs," Kiku answered mysteriously as she watched the little girl run up the stairs two steps at a time. She remembered when her mother had done the exact same thing to her a long time ago, and sure enough, Kiku could hear a gasp of delight that brought a smile to her face. Moments later, Kiku could feel something slam into her in a tight hug. _Man, she's fast. I guess ninja skills don't only have to be used on the battlefield, but that wasn't necessary… That hurts…_

"Thank you, Kiku-san!" Sarada exclaimed drawing away from the bear hug, leaving Kiku wincing and rubbing her waist, all while keeping a grin on her face. Sarada was dancing around happily, dressed in the standard robes of the Rift Village, but containing a half white, half blue stripe going down the middle. Kiku noticed that Sarada still kept the Leaf headband tied around her arm, even though she wasn't displaying it proudly on her forehead. _Interesting._ "Are you going to get me a sword, since you're taking me on as an apprentice? That's where we're heading, right? To the place from yesterday?" Sarada inquired, giddy from happiness.

"Mmm-hmmm. That reminds me, Sarada, can you go get the spare gloves upstairs? Same room, same drawer, it's on the bottom layer. Sorry, I forgot about that," Kiku said as Sarada bounded two steps at once up the stairs. _She's got an adrenaline rush, doesn't she? At this rate, she's probably going to hurt herself._ Shaking her head in amusement, Kiku walked towards a shelf full of scrolls in the living room. Today, she was going to have to see the Council, which would plan out the course of actions with Sarada. She'd already sent a request to let her be a guardian for Sarada until three weeks later, when the portal would reopen so that Sarada could return home. Kiku didn't want to admit it, but she would miss her dearly.

Kiku pulled out her katana and stared at it. She'd promised to make Sarada a sword and teach her some techniques. Three weeks was definitely not long enough to get even the basic techniques down. Kiku took two years to even learn them all, and that was through spending almost every moment of her life doing something that was related to kenjutsu. It had taken her several years to get the hang of it and learn the advanced techniques. Most people took several years to learn, and the rest of their lives to master.

 _How am I going to teach anyone like this?! If Sarada's really into this art, she will have to stay here and train for years! Unless if there is a way I can continue my teaching with her even after she returns to the future. I don't want to force her to stay in the past just for this, and she probably doesn't want to either. There's always an option, if I can convince the Council to let me travel to the future with her..._

Sarada appeared at her side, holding out the gloves she'd been asking for. Kiku sheathed her sword, pocketed the gloves, and opened the front door wordlessly. The rain had not ceased one bit. In fact, it seemed to have gotten worse. Sighing, Kiku weaved several hand seals and took Sarada's hand, stepping outside. "Whoa," Sarada said openmouthed. "No wonder you don't need an umbrella." A cloud of circulating air rotated above the duo's head, blocking out the rain more effectively than an umbrella would. "This way."

Ten minutes later, they came across a familiar sight: the heavy, iron double doors of the forges and training area from the previous day. Sarada's eyes brightened. "Are you going to train me here?"

"Yes, but we need to get you your sword first." Kiku inserted a key and shoved open the doors. "After you, Sarada-chan."

Sarada walked into the dark, empty room save for the light from the windows. Then, she heard the door slam behind her. Kiku walked forward and lit one of the forges, its heat and warmth radiating across the room. "Sarada, there's a light switch to your left. I'll go get some things. Wait here."

Sarada did as she was told. A few minutes later, Kiku returned with a measuring tape and a handful of swords of every shape and size which she set down by Sarada. "Your arm, please." After measuring and taking note of what seemed like every aspect of Sarada, as well as asking several questions like her chakra natures (Katon and Raiton) and her age (12, her birthday next was in six months), Kiku frowned and said, "I'll be back."

More swords dumped onto the floor. "Try them," Kiku ordered. "Hold them like this," she said, grasping Sarada's had and repositioning them along the sword. "You can tell if it is a good sword if it isn't too heavy or light, fits your hand, and you can maneuver it easily. If you don't like it, don't hesitate to change it, for in battle, your sword is your life."

Several minutes later, Sarada was wondering whether she misinterpreted Kiku's explanations for choosing swords. There was a growing pile of discarded swords on the ground. None of them just seemed right. "Picky, aren't you, Sarada-chan? Just like how I was when I was getting mine," Kiku said as the last weapon was tossed down. "Try mine," she offered and tossed her katana at Sarada which she caught with her right hand. It seemed to be perfect for her except that is seemed a bit long. "I like it. It's a bit long and heavy, though. And of course, it's yours."

Kiku raised an eyebrow. "Hold it out in front of you naturally for ten seconds. If it droops, then it's too heavy." Sarada did so, but her arm kept still, already adjusted to the unnatural extra weight it had compared with kunai and shurikens. Kiku took the sword from Sarada. "Well, looks like I'll be making you a similar sword to mine. Perhaps not," she said, studying her blade.

Without warning, Kiku lunged at Sarada, sword out, swinging it at her. Sarada yelped, activating her Sharingan immediately and picking a sword up from the ground. They crossed, parried, and blocked each other's blades as the fight took them from the floor to the top of tables, below several hanging tools from the ceiling, and around the whole room. Sarada thought the sword was closer to a long knife than a short sword, which she felt was annoying. The blade wasn't long enough to reach Kiku from a longer distance, so she had to get in close, which was dangerous, if she wanted to score a hit. However, it wasn't small enough to act like a kunai that she could throw or block with easily. Sarada watched Kiku closely as she again went on offense. _Judging by the direction she's heading and the length of the blade… Hmm… Get ready, and JUMP!_ Sarada sailed over Kiku's head using the momentum from her swing. She could feel the cold metal whoosh by her. _Close. Way too close. But I'm out of reach for now._ Kiku looked up to where Sarada was kneeling and panting from above her head. "Hmmm. I think I know what kind of sword you'd like."

Sarada pouted, folding her arms across her chest from her perch at the top of a shelf of scrolls. "Kiku-san, a little warning next time?"

Kiku grinned evilly. "Nope. Not today, not ever. A ninja always has to be prepared for anything. But you came come down now. Nice job with that sword, for first timers, anyway."

Sarada followed her as they walked into another room, this one the true place where Kiku made the swords. Brick walls marked the perimeter, save for the door. A forge was built into the wall, a large anvil stood in front of it. Tools of all sizes were hung on another, and a large bag of charcoal stood in a corner. Kiku tossed a large shovel full of charcoal into the forge. "Time to get started. You know _Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_ , right? Concentrate the flames and heat the coal," she addressed Sarada.

Sarada nodded, excitement bubbling in her chest. She fromed several hand seals and blew a stream of fire, lighting the charcoal. Kiku appeared besides Sarada with several pieces of metal. The coals were hot and glowing orange as Kiku placed the metal down and shoved another layer of coals into the furnace. The swordswoman instructed Sarada to light the coals on fire this time. Then, Kiku weaved a few hand signs and within the furnace, the flames started spiraling and growing, tended by an unseen wind. _She is definitely is wind-natured. Useful for this job._ Sarada noted.

The next half an hour passed by in a blur. Both women were bustling around the room, getting tools and tending the flames of the fire. Sarada paused to take off her glasses to wipe the sweat off her brow. The combination of the heat and overall demanding job was tiring. "Bring me the hammer. We can start working," Kiku said, finally removing the half-molten metal from the fire with the gloves enchanted from fire damage.

Sarada watched in amazement as Kiku hammered the hunk of ore into a long, flat sheet of metal. Every blow transformed the metal closer and closer to the sharp blade of a sword. It was unfinished, but it's edge gleamed wickedly from the light of the dying fire. Then, Kiku banged the sword once more, its ringing echoing around the chamber and plunged it into a barrel of water. An explosion of steam rose from it, and she quickly drew it out, placing it to the edge of anvil and beckoned Sarada over.

"Channel your chakra into the blade while I work this sword. This will help the blade be more adaptive to your chakra, meaning that it will be easier to channel chakra through your katana for more advanced techniques," Kiku explain. She did as told as Kiku hammered away on the sword. "More!" She demanded. For the next hour, they stood side by side as they worked, the outline of the blade and each step becoming clearer as Kiku hammered away at the edges while explaining the procedure's purposes. Finally, she soaked the katana in the water to cool it off one last time and laid it on the anvil, plain yet beautiful, with a gleaming, wickedly sharp point. It was the result of their hard work, a hunk of ore now a destructive instrument of war.

"Wow," Sarada whispered softly, leaning back on the countertop. Sweat had soaked through her shirt and she was feeling lightheaded from two things: the intense heat from the fire, and the thought that she had her very own sword now which she helped make. Kiku placed her hand on Sarada's shoulder, looking just as tired as she was. Her talent, knowledge and experience was shown and proven through the deceiving mask of age. "I think it's almost noon. Let's head home first and take a shower. I can finish the sword later."


	12. Chapter 11: Imposter

**Author's Note: Hello guys, I'm back after once again, a month. If you're still following this series, I feel deeply touched because of my inactiviy. Oh well, statewide testing is coming up, and I'm no genius like Sarada to go around and memorize entire textbooks and a lot more stuff as well. Was that a spoiler for the next few chapters? Sorry. Though memorizing stuff like that would help tremendously...Please R+R+enjoy this chapter!**

 **Note: If you do not see this chapter, I am sorry, but I'm getting network errors in regards on posting this chapter. Thank you for your patience.**

100 Herbs Used for Curing Ailments. _Boring. Mama knows more._

History of the Leaf Village, third edition. _This book is so outdated, I've almost memorized the fifth edition._

Geography of World. _Shouldn't be too different from the one I have back home, unless the Fourth Great Shinobi War did destroy some stuff. I've heard it was bad...Grr, there are absolutely no books about it at home!_

Sarada was thumbing through the various books lined along the bookcase while Kiku was shuffling around, getting ready for the Council in half an hour. "Sarada?" Kiku called from the room next door. "Remember what I said, okay?"

"I know," Sarada grumbled. "I can go explore around the village, I get 30 ryo to spend on stuff, and I have to come home at sunset." Kiku appeared at the doorway, hand on her hip. "Don't sass me, young lady, these rules are for your own safety!" Kiku scolded. "And before you open your smart mouth, keep in mind: my house, my rules." Then Sarada frowned and stuck her tongue out at Kiku, earning her a stern glare. She met her eyes and they played the straight-face game for about ten seconds before both of them burst into laughter. Then Kiku's face turned serious again. "There's one more I forgot to mention. Don't pick fights unless if you really have to and…" She trailed off. "No one knows you're Uchiha yet, and there might be rumors floating around. I will formally tell the Council about your heredity, because I have to. I won't tell them, though, that you have that special eye of yours. They have no reason to assume you have it, since it is arare occurrence. I don't trust some of them either. Does that sound good to you? Oh, and I might pick up a pair of contacts for you on my way back."

Sarada nodded, her eyes still on the books. "I know. Thank you, but I don't need contacts. Glasses are fine."

Kiku slipped her arm through the sleeves of her robes. "I forgot to specify. I'm not getting you regular contacts, I'm going to get those ones that change the color of your iris, color black. It's just in case that you let your Sharingan slip. I don't know how well they work though, but hey, you never know until you try"."

Sarada turned around and blinked. It took her a moment to process all that. Her eyes widened and she stuttered out, "R-Really? You're doing all this for my safety?" Kiku smiled and nodded at her. She slunk back into the couch behind her. Her mind was racing sixty miles an hour. First, embracing her into open arms, then taking her on as an apprentice, and now this? "Anything…anything else that you want to tell me?"

Kiku leaned back thoughtfully on the wall behind her. "Remember Kamiro? From yesterday? He teaches medical ninjutsu at the hospital. I'll see if I can get you into that program, since it is a requirement for those taking kenjutsu lessons. Oh, Kami, I lost track of time! I have to go. See you later."

"Bye Kiku-san!" She called out as Kiku left.

The room was suddenly hushed to a eerie silence the moment the door shut behind Kiku. _Home alone. Again,_ Sarada thought as she laid down on the couch. _Not my home, but same thing, isn't it?_ Her mind flashed back to to her Academy days. _Papa was never at home, Mama was always here, but she was sort of distant, never giving a straight answer to my questions. About Papa. About the clan. About everything._

 _Kiku's nice… No, that's understating her actions. She's like a sister, someone to trust, someone that cares for you, someone that you can share your feelings with. Someone that you can love, and someone that will love you back. Love and care for you better than some parents do, eh? She'd make a better guardian to me._

A wave of shame hit her. _Baka_ , she cursed herself. _How could you say something like that to your own parents? Mama must be worrying her head off over you, and Uncle Naruto's probably got in contact with Papa. And then he'll be rushing home, knight in shining armor, to go out to find me. Auntie Karin probably knows about this, too. They're probably trying to figure out how to come here right now. Right? Aren't they coming to find me?_

Silence greeted her.

Not that she was expecting a response, anyway.

Sarada sighed to herself. _There's no point in sitting around, wondering what might happen. You should go out to train, or go explore the village, like Kiku said. Get something done while you're at it, and maybe find out a thing or two about something._ A thought struck her like a lightning bolt. _I know where I can get information! The library! Kiku said there was one… Somewhere in the village! I'll find it._

With that thought in mind, Sarada put on her robes, now with the navy blue and white stripes running down the length, tied her Konoha headband around her arm, and dashed outside.

* * *

Sarada was running around the village, getting exercise and exploring it, as she reasoned. Only then did it occur to her that bringing water was probably a good idea. Also, if her destination was the library, she should stop and ask for directions and head straight for it. That would be way more effective than getting distracted by the village's sights, since there were a lot to see.

Sarada walked up to a teahouse at the side of the street and pushed open the door and took a seat at one of the antique tables. A few other people were present, and the windows were just open gaps with crisscrossing design on the wall. The teahouse smelled like, of course, tea, and the faint aroma of the wood filled the air. Some parts of the wall had been replaced with cheaper, painted plywood, creating variants of color on the sides. She could tell that the edges of the wood had long since rotted away, and been changed out. Lanterns and the sun were the provided a light sources. _This place is old,_ Sarada thought, waving the owner over.

"Good afternoon!" he said in a muffled, slightly croaky voice. "How can I help you?" "May I get a cup of black tea?" she decided, glancing at the menu that had been hung on the wall. "Also, do you know how to get to the library from here?"

The storekeeper faced Sarada and gave her a good, long look. She could see the wrinkles bunch up under his eye, the white tips of his eyebrows slanting down towards the bridge of his nose as he peered at Sarada. "Don't think I've seen you before," he observed. "The library is down from this street, and take a left. You can't miss it. Were you the Traveler, by any chance, that came here just yesterday? You caused quite a ruckus."

Sarada hesitated briefly, before whispering a soft, "Yes."

The storekeeper looked thoughtful as he turned away, nodding slowly to himself as he retreated to the back of the room to brew the tea.

A few minutes later, he returned with a steaming kettle, pouring the liquid into the teacup. "Would you like anything else?"

"No, thank you very much. May I ask if there is something that is bothering you?"

He raised his head thoughtfully. "Well, we haven't had any Travelers for a number of years," he replied slowly. "Very unusual. Now it looks like you want to ask something?"

Sarada swallowed a mouthful of tea, and dipped her head. "Umm...Yes. Can you tell me some more about how Traveling works? Like, from the beginning? I'm kind of confused."

The store owner chuckled to himself. "Didn't pay attention in class? Oh well, I'll try to refresh that memory for you. Mind if I sit?

"No, it's fine," Sarada replied. The store owner set the kettle in the middle of the table before sitting down on the opposite side of Sarada. _He sure does have steady hands for someone so old. He didn't even waver one bit!_

"Perhaps I shall give you a briefing of the history of our village, since you want to know about it. The library does have more information on this, though, if you are interested." He paused, folding his hands in front of himself. "I'll take it from the very beginning, and I will ask you to save your questions until the very end."

"Our proud village bears history of over a thousand years, longer than any other village has, and probably ever will. The founders of our village were twelve of the most powerful ninja at that time, some of them, of all time. Namely, the First, Second, Fourth, and Ninth. Uchiha, Saito, Nakano, and Akiyama. They, as well as the rest of the Twelve, were all known for their strengths in different areas. However, the names of the Twelve are lost, so we refer to them by their positions and hierarchy, which have been passed down from generation to generation. In fact, the descendants of the Twelve are still alive today. Rumor is that you are staying with Nakano-san, is that true?"

"Nakano-san?" Sarada inquired. She suddenly realized that she never bothered to ask Kiku for her last name. "Oh, you mean Kiku-san? She's a descendant of the Twelve?"

The storekeeper gave her a strange look but he nodded. "Her uncle is one of the current members of the Twelve, the Council she's attending right now. Yes, the meeting was asked to keep secret, but I know many things, rumors included. This teahouse was here a few years after the founding of the Rift, making it one of the oldest buildings in the village. They say that every village needs a teahouse for it to be a village," he said, chuckling to himself. "Fifty-two generations and still going. My ancestor knew the First very well, or so they say."

"So you're a Traveler, right? We've had several that have came here in the past, but we haven't had and Travelers in a few years, which is a long time. I remember meeting Nakano-san twenty years ago, looking like how she did five years ago. Traveling through time, or just Traveling, as we call it, takes the user back into time through the portal into the past from their current time period. Let me explain what the terms I use refer to before I go deeper. When I refer to the "present," I refer to the time where the user is from when he Travels. Right now, I am in my present, but you are in the past relative to your own time. The present, for you, would be the time from where you came from. However, we have found out that for every measurement of time you remain in your past, this time also passes by in your present. Time flows, and it doesn't stop."

"Now, onto the "future." The future is any timepoint that happens after the present, whether it is a few seconds or several years, they all count as the future. They are events that have not occurred yet. Because of this, people coming from the future may alter the past, so for obvious reasons, we set up the rule that no one may enter or exit the village for no reason to minimize damage that may be caused by Traveling. The thing is, however, no one has ever been able to travel to the future from a present time point, only from the past to the present. It has never worked for anyone before. However, there is one exception. A person from the future can bring a person from the past to the future Traveler's present timepoint. So, you can take me to your present if we are Traveling together."

The storekeeper paused to clear his throat and pour himself a cup of tea, and he resumed his lecture. "I don't know from what timepoint you were from, but let's say you were from a time where there are six hokages that have been chosen. You would be able to travel to the time period of where there are five hokages, because that would be in your past. I would only be able to do that when the time comes naturally, and I age ten years and the fifth hokage has been chosen, because we only have four hokages chosen right now. Well, that should sum it up, since you really should know this content already. I did used to be a history teacher for some time before my father's passing and he handing down this store to me."

Sarada blinked and sat back in her chair. She took a sip of her tea, and realized that it had gone cold; she was so focused on his words that she zoned out on the real world. "Kind sir, thank you for telling me all this. The tea's really good, too," Sarada added hastily. "One more question. May I ask what became of the First? The Uchiha?"

He looked surprised at Sarada, and he gave her a "you should already know this, how could you not" look. "She didn't have any children," he said slowly. "The First disappeared one day, and all she left behind was a single, undecipherable scroll 'for the rightful heir.' They say that she went a little mad, but my long gone ancestor described her as a very lively, lovely, and powerful person. Does that answer your question?"

"Umm… Yes. And no. But it's fine, I have to go now," Sarada said, pushing back her chair.

The store owner narrowed his eyes at her, and she stopped. "Wait," he said. "From your timepoint, how many hokage faces are on the stone wall?"

"...Seven?" Sarada answered nervously. The way he was staring at her was making her fret.

What he said next only made things worse. "Perhaps you are a Traveler, but they wouldn't move the library in a few years, so you should know, by all means how to get there. And, they would most definitely not stop teaching children our village's history, nor the information on our founders. Even if you dropped out of school, you should still know this common knowledge. Just who are you anyway?"

"I have to go," Sarada repeated, placing a stack of coins on the table, pushing her chair in. But before she could move a single step, the store owner caught her on the arm, restricting her movements. The man leaned closer to Sarada's face, taking measure of every aspect of it. "Now that I think of it, you do remind me of a certain someone, he said slowly, "But it may very well be impossible, for she had no descendants. And I have never met her in person, only seen paintings and statues of her. Little girl...you remind me of the First. The Uchiha founder."

"I have to go," Sarada said urgently, breaking free from the old man's grip. Her hands were shaking, her heart pounding against her chest like a drum from what he'd told her, and who she'd been compared to. _The First? Who the hell is she anyway? More powerful than my dad, maybe? Me, looking like her? Well, we are Uchiha…_

All of the sudden, she felt a gentle tug on her arm, and she heard something clatter on the ground. Sarada spun around, and then her heart dropped to the bottom of her sandals. She could see the proud emblem of the Leaf Village staring up at her from the floor, her identity, separating her from the old man. For several seconds, both people stood frozen, staring at the fallen object. Then, Sarada snatched up the headband and bolted out the door. Just before she left, though, she thought she heard the man whisper something that sent chills down her spine. _Konoha...imposter._


	13. Chapter 12: The Library's Secrets

**Author's Note: Hello, I'm back, and it's been the whole summer since I was last here! No access to computer over the summer, so I penned it all down on paper, and _then_ typed it up! Probably not the most convenient was around things, but it's the only one, actually. Don't worry, the Rift Village and Sarada aren't dead (yet?). Pls R+R+enjoy!**

The storekeeper was right about one thing, for sure. The library was impossible to miss. For several seconds, Sarada stood still, gaping at the magnificent building. It was huge, with tall, gilded pillars that rose an easy fifty feet high that supported a huge dome that reflected the sun's blinding rays. The symbol of the rift village was engraved on it, naturally. Sarada walked in a trance towards it and found herself under the dome. The was a huge mural on it depicting the era of when the Rift Village was founded. When she looked around, she realized that the inside faces of the colossal pillars had twelve equally large people carved into them. _Probably the twelve founders of the village, I've heard enough about that already. Why is twelve such a common number here?_

Despite being absolutely mesmerized by the grand monument, a tiny part of her head still echoed with the words Konoha imposter. She could remember clearly how the man stood in shock for a few moments, before whispering those words and trailing them off in a long, vile hiss…

Sarada suddenly felt very insignificant under the glare of the stone faces of the Twelve, the intensity and power made her feel unsettled, even if they were only statues. She quickly ducked inside the library.

The interior was no more shabby than the outside. But now, her head was pounding with her renewed goal. To find out more about the Rift village, and maybe read up a thing or two on medical ninjutsu, since Kiku hinted that she might be learning that soon.

These books were easy to find, other than the fact that the sheer size of the library made it feel like she had ran two laps around the Leaf village. Whilst carrying a stack of books, she found a spot in the corner and sat down to read, eager at the prospect of knowledge. Only when one of the librarians told her to sit on one of the tables instead did she really take note of her surroundings. It was nice, maybe not as fancily decorated as the entrance, but it was simple and quiet. All the same, a huge work of art covered the ceiling. Numerous bookshelves lined the walls, and a few tables like the one she was sitting in. She finally noticed the raised platform and a pedestal with a single scroll that rested on it.

Curious, she put down the book on the Rift's history and stepped towards it. It was open, she realized, and on further inspection, writing was appearing all over the scroll. It stayed there until the page filled up, and then the scroll rolled itself up, and a clean sheet appeared as the invisible brush continued its scribbling across the scroll. Sarada circled the pedestal, looking at it from all four directions, but the words, nevertheless, did not make any sense to her. She was highly curious though, and reached a timid hand to touch it…

"You can't," said a soft voice behind her, causing Sarada to jump, violently recoiling her hand as if she touched a burning object. She pivoted on her heels, backing upon the pedestal behind her. _Where did he come from? I didn't hear him, much less see him at all!_ The man was wearing a long cloak with a black stripe on it. _A Council member?_ "You surprised me," Sarada finally said, stepping down the platform. "And what did you mean by 'you can't'?"

He looked at her square in the eyes. "You can't touch the scroll," he replied, and to prove his point, he reached towards the scroll. His hand was already out, expecting to hit something, and it did. He then traced out the invisible spherical orb that surrounded the scroll. "The scroll has been here since the founding of the Rift. It was left here by the First Uchiha founder, and it is completely meaningless. Well, completely meaningless to us, anyway, since no one can read it."

Sarada's eyebrow furrowed, her standard representation of the "deep in thought" state of mind. "You're one of the Council members, right? The...Second...Guard? Is that what you call you founders?"

The man's expression became slightly amused. "Yes. My name is Masaru Saito, head of the hospital, and yes, the descendant of the original Second Guard. Our clan excels in the medical arts and healing. Nice job, though. How'd you guess which member I was?," he inquired, his silky voice twirling itself like a ribbon around Sarada's thoughts.

Sarada felt a sudden burst of pride from being praised by the Second, as well as an urge to just tell him everything she had on mind. Her thoughts, feelings, theories, anything he might ask her. She opened her mouth, then closed it, swallowing. A simple thought had occurred to her, yet it was enough to make Sarada stop. _Why?_ , a small, inner voice asked her. Her mind cleared, and plenty of reasons came tumbling out, more of them arguing why she _shouldn't_ tell him everything on her mind. _Is it his voice? Like, he uses that to cast genjutsu on people?_

Sarada pointed at the Second's clothes. "Your robe," she intoned. "That means you're one of the Twelve. Also, the pouch you carry is one used by your medical ninjas, according to this book I've read. And your clan's crest on the other side on the Rift symbol on your cloak is an indicator of your heritage."

The man tilted his head to the side. "You're a diligent one. You've taken the liberties to learn more about our proud village already, eh? What is your name?"

Her mind guarded against Masaru's seductive voice, she answered, "My name is Sarada." _Should I tell him my real surname? Or should I follow Kiku's orders? If he is from the Council, he should already know who I am, even with just my first name._ So she just remained quiet and smiled nervously, indecisive. Even so, the Second had turned around to face the scroll, and he was nodding and smiling to himself, as if he was secretly enjoying something. "So you're Sarada-san," he muttered. Then he turned around and gave Sarada a friendly grin that vividly contrasted his cold, viper-like eyes that fixated on her as if she was some sort of prey.

"Sarada-san, do you mind giving me your surname?" he queered smoothly, almost with a hint of distaste and menace. As if he were warning her to tell the truth, or face the consequences.

A chill ran down her spine. _I wonder what Kiku-san told them. Did she lie for my sake? Or did she actually tell him? Or did she choose to feign ignorance?_ A feeling of protectiveness engulfed her, for Kiku-san and her own privacy, which inclined her to choose an evasive answer. "Masaru-sama, you already know of my heritage, don't you?"

"So it's true," the man replied, staring at the scroll in such an intense way. Then, she saw, from the corner of his face, a wide, feral grin that had spread up to the bottom of his eyes. Her hand went into the pocket of her robes, feeling the cold metal of her headband that she had stashed in her pocket. _Does he know about this, too? Well, I did wear it coming to the Rift Village._

"Sarada-san, can you read the scroll? Or can you touch it, by any chance?"

The Uchiha's eyes flicked towards the Second, who was looking at her expectantly, and she reached forward for the scroll. Like his hand, her hand hit the barrier and went no further. She glanced at the Second from the corner of her eye. His face was stoic, save for the slight narrowing of his eyebrows. "Hmmm. Well, I suppose if you can't break the barrier, then no one can. At least, can you read what it says?" Sarada shook her head; the Second was visibly disappointed, and she felt guilty for letting him down. _Sarada! Stop it! He's just playing with your mind. You owe no loyalty, much less trust to him!_

Suddenly, he wheeled around and faced her. His face hardened into a mask as he knelt down, eye level with Sarada. She flinched and took a step back. In response, he put a finger under her chin and lifted it upwards, causing Sarada to let out a strangled gasp. Fear had frozen her movements as Masaru leaned in, studying her closely.

"You look just like her. A younger, weaker, more ignorant copy, but a copy, nevertheless," he breathed, forming a unibrow as he gripped her chin harder, his fingers pressing hard on her cheekbones. "Bastard," he spat violently, like he was dislodging a mouthful of phlegm. Sarada winced as he dug his nails into her skin, hard and unforgiving. Then, her eyes widened as the Second reached for her glasses with his other hand. The moment he touched them, she gasped, grabbing his wrist with her hands. Wild fear strangled her, and her body went on autopilot.

With a fierce battle cry, she twisted the Second's arm down, and dislodged herself from his grasp. She leapt back, and the her visions suddenly blurred in a mess of colors. _My glasses!_ Sarada thought in panic, wiping her eyes as she landed in a low crouch. She drew a kunai from her pouch, but she doubted it would do her any good. There was a tall mass of black in front of her: Masaru, and a glimpse of red right by what would be his foot.

A round shape bobbed down, and Sarada could tell that he saw her glasses on the floor. Then, Sarada watched, wide-eyed as he lifted his foot upwards, hovering over her glasses. The tension in the air was high, both sides waiting to see who would make the deciding action. The Second hesitated, and he set his foot down next to the glasses. Sarada let out a sigh of relief, even though she still held the kunai in a tight grasp.

"Here," Masaru said monotonously, handing Sarada the glasses. The Uchiha searched his face questioningly. It was devoid of emotion as he stood up, straightening the folds on his robe.

"I'm sorry, Sarada-san. That went a bit out of hand. You just reminded me of something...unpleasant. But you're a rather sweet girl. May you forgive me?"

In a small voice, Sarada answered, "Yes."

The Second smiled at her, which she thought was forced out. _Not that I would give him an honest smile either_ , Sarada thought dryly. "Well, I need to get going," he said. "I trust that Kiku-san will fill you in on the details of the Council. Goodbye, Sarada-san. Nice meeting you."

Sarada watched him leave and when he was out of sight, she turned back to the pedestal and the scroll, watching the never-ending loop of the scroll. _I wonder what that was all about. Who is "she," anyway? And how would I look like "her," if he has never seen me before? Well, I guess he may be comparing me to the First, since she's an Uchiha as well, but how would he have known a thousand year old lady?_

Shaking her head, Sarada stepped off the platform and headed back from her to-be-read books. A sudden idea ran through Sarada. _What if…_ The little Uchiha girl checked to see that she was alone in the room. Only then did she dare to scale the platform and pull out the spinning red and black eyes, heart thumping from excitement. She was not prepared for what she would see.

The room suddenly became colored in all shades of the rainbow. Sarada didn't even know that so many chakra types or whatever the colors meant had existed. Normally, she only saw a few colors. The barrier guarding the scroll was now outlined in a thin white, and the scroll was still there, still writing. But the ink...Thousands, maybe even million of streaks of colored light seemed to be headed towards the scroll from all directions. Sarada watched in fascination; they appeared from nowhere, but they passed through the barrier and even her, since she was blocking one portion of the barrier. Then, the needle-like things pierced the paper and formed the words, which she realized were not actually black, but containing a whirlwind of colors. So many that her mind spun around in circles just watching them.

Sarada examined the streaks of chakra things closer that were all around her. It was hard, since they moved so quickly and there were so many of them. She had thought they were chakra streaks, because her Sharingan could detect them. However, they seemed a lot denser and was somehow laced with more power than a chakra needle would have. Then she looked back at the platform and realized why it seemed so foreign, yet familiar. The colors and aura resembled the portal from which she had arrived from. Was it power from... _time?_

From all the books Sarada read about time-space ninjutsu, there wasn't anything that actually involved time, it was just more like dimensional traveling and that sort that she knew her father could do. But it still seemed like a plausible idea, jutsu that actually involved the manipulation of time itself. After all, that was what everything came from, right?

Sarada reached for one of the light-streaks, with the intention of finding out what exactly they were. She touched one and she gasped. She saw Kiku walking back home from the Council's building. Then, the scene faded quickly from her mind and she was once again, left in the dark room lit up with tiny light particles and the scroll. She touched another one and saw two children playing some sort of ball game together, before it disappeared once more.

All of the sudden, Sarada clutched her head, her world spinning around her, the vortex of colors swirling around her like a colorful tornado they were. _Please, please, please not another one!_ Her breathing became shallow and frantic as she sank down to her knees, threatening to pass out into one of her increasingly frequent and intense "visions." They were similar to the time streaks she'd been exploring. However, they were longer, more dark, and passed on information that didn't make sense. And they gave her headaches afterwards.

Initially, the use of her Sharingan would sometimes make her black out for a couple of seconds, and both she and her mom deduced that that happened because she wasn't accustomed to using the Sharingan, which also depleted a lot of her chakra. Even though Sarada knew that she had a hefty amount of chakra, and chakra control for a genin, maybe even compared to chunin. When she got her second to one in her eye, she started seeing things after blacking out. This time was the worst one yet.

The world became clear again, and Sarada blinked out dizzy spots from her eyes as she withdrew the Sharingan, reeling backwards and sitting hard on the ground. For a few minutes, she sat there thinking and pushing the disturbing images away. A few children ran inside, yelling and screaming with joy until an adult walked in and hushed them down. Sarada watched the mom lead the children over to the far end of the room and pick out some books together. She sighed, and returned to the table to continue her reading. However, she did flip through the index to find information on the mysterious scroll, but it gave her no more useful information than what the Second told her and her own observations. She longed to check out the scroll more, but it was too dangerous. Besides, she really did not want to get another headache.

Sarada tried to continue reading, but she found that she couldn't focus. The words swan of the pages, forming a mix of random letters that her brain tried to sort out. She glanced at the scroll every few minutes, wishing that the children would leave so she could take a closer look. They were more quiet now, and they'd formed a little circle around a stool where the adult was reading a picture book from. Sarada looked at the children, a wry smile creeping up her face. Then she shook her head in amusement and continued reading without much disturbance.

Until a book fell of the top shelf of a bookcase, making her jump a foot in the air.

Sarada turned around to identify the source of the sound. _Ah. It's that little kid again, she thought with a hint of annoyance. What has he done now?_

Placing the book face down on the table, she walked over to the child, who had a book in his hand and was climbing on the bookcase! Sarada rushed over there and picked the child off the wooden structure, all while grumbling, "No, no, no, you can't do that. You're going to hurt yourself!"

The child was standing, face down and ashamed as Sarada scolded him after taking the book away. Sarada dismissed him, and the kid took off running. That idiot of a child. She glanced at the title of the book and her face paled into the white of freshly fallen snow on a winter day, her eyes widening like the waxing moon in the night sky. Her heart pounding, she flipped open to the back cover of the book. _From the time of Rift's founding until Year 1,100. That would include things on the fall of my clan..._

For several minutes, she stood unmoving, staring at the cover. The Uchiha Clan was written in bold words across the top of the page. Below was the red and white fan of the Uchiha. The same crest Sarada wore on her back beneath the robe of the Rift. Clutching the book of answers, she ran back to the table and gathered the rest of the books. After dumping half of them in a bin for reshelving, she took off in a sprint back towards Kiku's home, eager to learn more about what she was kept in the dark for so long...

 **Author's Note: Because there is no set date, I will say that the Rift Village was established 1,100 years ago. If you want an actual reference to this date, let's say that this was about when...hmmm... a couple years after Indra and Ashura part their ways. (Read or watch Naruto if you don't know what I'm referring to. Again, this is post Naruto, Naruto Gaiden: Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Springs, and Boruto: Naruto the Movie). Spoiler, maybe? Well, it won't be too relevant until the later chapters.**

 **BTW, don't know about you guys, but the manga is _so bad!_ And the anime is meh as well. I _might_ incorporate some elements of the anime/manga, but don't bet on that it's going to be canon to the anime/manga.**

 **i talk too much. XD**

 **Well** **, hope you liked this chapter!**


	14. Chapter 13: Bond

**Author's Note: Hey, I don't know who's still reading my stories, but I (obviously) been out for a while, to those who are keeping track. I should be able to get a couple chapters posted over Winter Break, but anyway, please enjoy!**

The sun was making its daily journey back down the mountains on the west side of the village. Holding the stack of books with one arm, Sarada knocked on the door, yelling, "Kiku-san! I'm home!"

The door swung open after a few seconds, and a bright, smiling face appeared. "Sarada-chan, do you need help with that?" Kiku asked, smirking at the ten-something stack of books Sarada was carrying.

"I'm good," Sarada replied in a strained voice, heaving the books inside and slamming them on the dining table. She was redirected to the bookcase, where she slid the books into an empty rack, save for one on medical ninjutsu, which she flipped open the moment she sat on the couch. Bookworm, eh? Kiki thought with amusement before going back to prepare dinner.

Half an hour later, platters of sushi sat on the dining table, ready to be eaten. Kiku placed her chopsticks in her palms and said, "Itadakimasu." However, Sarada didn't touch her plate, and she just sat there with her head down, reading. Kiku watched her, a thin smile spreading across her face; Sarada had walked all the way to the dining table and sat down in an unbroken movement, her eyes never leaving the page.

"Sarada-chan? You know that you can eat now," Kiku said, prodding Sarada's book gently on the cover.

"Hmmm?" Sarada said, her trance broken. "Oh. Sorry. I was reading, so I didn't notice." A second later, she seemed to realize that what redundant and blushed, drawing a smirk from Kiku.

Kiku took a moment to think. "Now, that you're listening, I'll tell you a couple of important things. Starting tomorrow, I will be training with you one-on-one on kenjutsu. Kamiro-san will also be instructing you on medical ninjutsu starting Wednesday. It's a group lesson, or class, with people who already know some medical ninjutsu, since they started in April. They can help you if you struggle. The reason why we're placing you on the advanced track is that we don't have much time here."

Sarada deflated internally. That's not how it works...If I struggle, there are going to be jerks who will turn their attention on me. I don't really mind too much, after all those years, but it is annoying.

And I like to be the best in class, a selfish part of her admitted.

A sudden thought occurred to Sarada. "Ummm… when is Wednesday? And why exactly are all of you guys going through all of this trouble to train me? You could just…you know…only look over me and just send me back when you can."

Kiku-san stopped mid-action, and she sighed, setting her chopsticks and ball of rice back down. "Wednesday's the day after tomorrow. And for training…Well, you could say that part of it's a personal thing, and the other half is because of safety."

"...Safety?" Sarada inquired, stretching out the "s" as she said it.

The woman across from her sighed, lowering her head so that her caramel brown curls bounced on her shoulders. "Well, I've actually go a few questions for you first. Then I'll answer yours, m'kay?"

The Uchiha paused, and then she nodded.

Kiku leaned back into her chair. "Where to start? Hmm. So, the Council ended rather quickly today. But it was about you. You see, your arrival here caused quite a commotion among the Guardians," she said, chuckling humorlessly. "You came from the Leaf Village, and you're what, a Chunin? Our village would've never let someone in like that. But on top of that, you've managed to travel through the Portal, and you are an Uchiha."

Silence enveloped the two. Sarada shuffled nervously, chewing on the wooden chopsticks.

Kiku tilted her head at Sarada, and she realized that Kiku wanted an answer. An explanation, to be precise. _But how am I going to tell her about something I don't even understand myself?_

Sarada choked out a laugh. "I'm actually only a Genin. The last Chunin exams were canceled due to some interruption. _From two interstellar beings. She doesn't need to know that._ And I don't know how I got here. I just...I don't know, stood in the Portal and it activated." Sarada shuddered, recounting the cries of her teammates and Sensei, and the would-be screams of her parents. They bounced around her head, a repeated knife that dug itself deep inside her brain, cutting deeper every single time. She busied herself by desperately repeating the locations of the tenketsu points listed in the book, tracing them out on her thigh from under the table.

Kiku sighed, propping her head up with her elbows. "I suppose that answers a couple of things. And it proposes even more questions. Of the current times, there are only three members of the Uchiha left in this world. Do you know who they are?"

This drew a quizzical glance from Sarada. "Three? I thought there were only two, Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha. Oh wait, are you counting me in as well?"

"You're technically not from this time," Kiku answered slowly, "but if I counted you, there would be four. You do not know who the third member is?"

"No," Sarada replied. "Am I…Supposed to know?"

"Never mind," Kiku said. "It would be better off if you didn't know. Actually, I only know these members by name, so don't expect too much information about them from me, 'kay? So now, I will propose a theory to you that may be right or wrong, but it will explain some things to you."

"Your father is either Sasuke or Itachi Uchiha, your mother could be anyone, which I believe is irrelevant in this case. You said that there were seven Hokage on the wall, and based off your age, I would say that you came from thirty years in the future. Which poses a slight problem. You see, the portal activates every once in twenty years, and eleven of the twelve Guardians are present at the time of the openings. The First and her line disappeared a long while ago, but many say that her Mangekyo's power was to be able to manipulate time to an extent. No one knows if it's true or not, and of course, "time" is a very broad topic, but she was a person with legendary skills. Or so they say," Kiku said, shrugging.

"If you do the math, the portal will be activated for an hour before midnight at the end of this month, which marks the twentieth year from the last time it activated. And it shouldn't activate for another twenty years after that. Even if it did, and the Guardians aren't present to channel the power, no one would be able to use it. Also, no one has ever let an outsider into our village before, if you're not counting the time when we made a peace treaty with Hashirama Senju of Konoha. Even so, he only came here twice, and we have been largely forgotten by the other, future Hokage. Which does absolutely nothing to explain your presence here. However, you are of Uchiha lineage, which complicates matters even more." She finished, appearing troubled as she took a sip of water from across of Sarada.

"Oh…" Sarada trailed off, finally realizing what Kiku was implying. "So I really should not have been able to go inside the village, use the Portal, and travel here. And I did. So you think it has something to do with being an Uchiha?"

 _And something else, too. Kiku doesn't know anything on the mysterious demise of the Rift Village. Now that I think about it, Seventh-sama said it happened around this time._

Kiku broke into her thoughts. "Yes, because you share them same blood as the First. So now about the training and stuff. I already said that it was for safety, yes? Because, the portal's protective barriers, physical and magical, have been weakening over the centuries. And then you arrived. So the Guards went into a heated discussion on why and how you came here. The conclusion? Something disastrous occurs in the future, and you, somehow, are let in or you just enter the village yourself. And the portal may have activated upon itself and took you here. Or you activated it yourself. You have the Sharingan, and you share the same blood, maybe even power as the First."

"What?" Sarada inquired. "My Sharingan isn't even fully evolved yet. See?" She stood up, pointed at her eyes, the irises red, with two tomoe spinning in each one. "And what do you mean? I don't have a crazy insane power or anything enough to control the power of time — "

"I know, Sarada, but I suggest you cope with it until you can prove to the Guardians otherwise! Until then, that is how they will be acting towards you: like you are much, much more powerful and dangerous than you seem. It's rare enough for a woman to unlock the Sharingan, and what timing should it be to have you show up, just a month before the Portal reactivates, all alone and with no believable explanation? No, your Sharingan isn't at its matured stage yet, and it makes it even less likely for you to have amazing power without even a Mangekyo. I know that there are techniques that deal with time-space ninjutsu, and some of those are Mangekyo related. Why train you? To reveal any sort of hidden power within you. Or, to make yourself more presentable in front of the Guardians when you show up empty-handed."

Sarada bit back a sharp retort. Everything Kiku said had some sense in it, though she could tell that they were based from poorly gathered facts, or just pure speculation. Kiku's voice rang out in her head. _To reveal any sort of hidden lower within you. Or, to make yourself more presentable in front of the Guardians when you show up empty handed._ A Sarada bit her lip. _If that is what's the Guardians are betting on, then they are really desperate. I don't even know what the Mangekyo is! I think it's Papa's Sharingan, Mama mentioned it once. But the Second Guard said I reminded him of someone. If he's referring to the First that supposedly made the scroll... I need to find a picture of her somewhere and get a good look at it. But that makes not sense. Why would he go around hating a millennia old woman?_ _Ugh, this is so confusing! Nothing makes sense! I just want to go back home and get a good night's sleep with Mama again!_

 _If she's home, anyway. And not working out late in the hospital,_ a bitter voice hissed from inside her head.

A dizzying stroke hit Sarada again, so she grabbed the edge of the table for support to ease the swooning. _I need to rest._ Clutching the book, Sarada said, "I'm going to go take a bath." She stood up, pushing the chair back, which made an awful scraping noise as it rubbed against the tiled floor. But it was nowhere near the awful Sarada was feeling at the moment.

"Sarada, wait," Kiku said as Sarada turned her back against the table. "I picked these up for you on the way back. Take them upstairs, but don't open them," Kiku said, setting a small box and a rather long parcel on the table. Sarada spared a look from behind her shoulder and walked back, picking them up along with her book. "Thanks," Sarada said, trekking up the steps with the load of stuff she now held in her arms. Kiku nodded, watching her go. She had just given Sarada quite a lot of things to ponder about. However, only one thought of worry crossed her mind: a concern for the child and her uncertain future.

* * *

Sarada flopped on top of the bed the moment she stepped into the room. _Nevermind the bath_ , she thought irritably, straightening her glasses. For half an hour, she just lay there, staring at the dark ceiling and pondering what Kiku said. _Well, the Council seemed to have reached the conclusion that their village would be destroyed, and I have something to do with it. Either that or something of equal importance happened, so they sent me here. Great. And all they're training me for is to fish out an answer to their own problems. I either have to give them a great show,or prove to be a disappointment. The latter may be better. Then they might give up on me and send me back though the portal, like nothing ever happened._

 _But they hooked me up to the medical ninjutsu program, which does sounds interesting. And kenjutsu seems like worthwhile area to refine. Shurikenjutsu and taijutsu are my strong points, I guess. Speaking of which, I hadn't practiced in a while…_

She sat up and reached into the shuriken holster strapped to her thigh for one of the four-pointed metal throwing stars. Sarada held it up with to the moonlight beaming in from the window with her index and middle finger, rotating it so it refracted the light at different angles. Then, she twisted it so her own face, metallic but familiar, stared back at her, _I need a haircut_ , she thought, sweeping her bangs to the side. Her glasses, her rosy, prim face, her void black eyes, and a hint of a half smile could almost mask the pool of worry, confusion, and sadness within her.

Unable to stand it anymore, she hurled the shuriken with expertise at a niche in the wall between the wooden panels and the pictures of Kiku's family. _Papa's missing from them, too, eh?_ she thought glumly. Papa seemed to show up everywhere she went, reminding her of her imperfect family. Even so, she was longing for her imperfect family. It was better than none. Kiku was caring and understanding, but deep down, Sarada knew that she was not a substitute for her parents. Rather, she was like a sister that was both closer and more distant at the same time.

Sarada heaved a sigh, grabbing for the book, parcel, and box she had thrown on either ends of the bed. She set the book down on the bedside table, and examined the box. _So Kiku did get me the contacts to help me keep a low profile, eh?_ Sarada thought, putting the box of lenses on top of the book. That left the mysterious package, wrapped up in layers of brown paper and tied together with string. She held it up curiously, turning it over for any clues on what it may be, but there was only her name, scribbled messily in black ink on the wrapping. _It's kind of heavy_ , Sarada thought, weighing it in her hands, _and it's rather long as well. Three feet? Hmm…_ Suddenly, an idea clicked in her head. _Is it the sword? The one Kiku and I made together? Kiku did say that she was going to finish it._ A sudden impulsiveness posses Sarada, and she proceeded to cut the string with a kunai, but then, footsteps echoed from outside the door. _Oh no. S_ he made a beeline for the shuriken she embedded in the wall, and barely had time to drop it into the holster, hide the kunai under a pillow, and prop the book open on her knees when the door swung open.

"Hello Sarada," came the familiar voice from the door. Kiku.

"Oh! Umm… Hi," Sarada stammered out, her heart pounding and her inner voice screaming, _This is what you get from not being careful and breaking rules, Sarada! Kiku-san told you not to open any of the packages! You're becoming worse than Boruto! At least he has practice doing these things so he doesn't get caught that easily!_

Fortunately, Kiku seemed to be preoccupied with the armful of pyramidical scrolls she had somehow managed to carry upstairs. The moment she staggered inside, she spilled the whole twenty-something lot onto the bed, right next so Sarada. Massaging her arms, Kiku said, "That was heavy. Took me half an hour to find these, as well as organize the rest of them. They've rather fallen into disarray after these many years."

Sarada said nothing, and an awkward silence enveloped the two as Kiku continued shuffling around the rooms, moving things around and placing the scrolls in various different locations, all while muttering to herself. _Huh. Wonder what the scrolls are for?_ Sarada thought, silently stowing the kunai back in her pouch when Kiku's back was turned to her, her heart beating with guilt and shame.

"Well Sarada, I see that you've resisted the temptation to open the package, eh?" Kiku said brightly, jarring Sarada out of her reading when she had just managed to get her focus back onto the textbook once more. "Huh? Oh, er, of course! It's not open, right?" _Right, Sarada? It's not open, eh? You almost did…_ The girl smiled shamefacedly at Kiku. She had never been that good about lying about almost anything.

Lucky for her, Kiku didn't interpret her expression the way Sarada feared she would. She merely plopped besides Sarada on the bed and scooped up the parcel.

"Well, I intended on giving you this tomorrow, but I think that's a bit too long away. Do you want to see what's inside? You can have a little peek."

"Really?" Sarada inquired, sitting up a little straighter, heart thumping with excitement, all while thanking her good luck. Even so, a look at Kiku told her that she was as excited as she was about the package, even though she was not as expressive as Sarada — the corners of Kiku's mouth held a hint of a smile, her cheeks had a primrose pink glow, and her eyes were bright and filled with a certain knowingness.

Now sitting cross legged on the sheets, Sarada grabbed another kunai and sliced open the string, which twanged lightly as it sprung apart from its tight bindings. Then, she slowly unfolded the brown paper, fold by fold, crease by crease, like she was doing reverse origami. She could feel the excitement build up behind her chest and a light shiver run down her spine.

The seventh fold revealed a dark brown sheath, and the eighth fold finally unearthed the sword's handle. Sarada lifted it out and held it horizontally in front of her, examining the details on it. The handle was wood wrapped in leather, the length of her forearm, while the sheath was a dark, polished wood as well. It was slightly heavy, about the weight of a fishing rod. Sliding her hand across the sheath, she pulled the sword out of it, which flashed in an arc as she lifted it up, perpendicular to the ground.

It was beautiful in its simplicity, deadly in its purpose. A sword. Sarada liked it.

She spent the next few minutes marveling at the additional things Kiku had done to the sword when they'd left. Kiku even left a surprise in there for Sarada.

"Run your chakra through it," she suggested. Sarada did as told, and she gasped as fine lines in the metal appeared, forming an elaborate pattern of flames that wrapped around the blade. She was taken aback on how easily and smoothly her chakra had run through the blade. Narrowing her eyes, she reduced the chakra amount by half, but the sword still emitted a faint glow that spread evenly around the blade, and the pattern still stood out. Then she tried concentrating her chakra in the middle point of the sword, and she was surprised that she could do that. _What? How does it...adapt to my chakra system? Is that what it can do? I've run chakra through several items before, but I've never been able to actually control it like this..._

"How?" Sarada asked, looking at Kiku from over her shoulder.

Kiku laughed. "That's a clan secret, if you're asking on how you can do this," she said, drawing a circle over the dense area of chakra in the middle of the sword, "but don't you remember what you did when you made the sword? What did you add into it?"

 _What did I add into it? Unique to myself?_ Hmm… Images flashed through her head —choosing the sword, lighting the fire —

"I added my chakra into it. You said something about that making the sword more adaptive to my chakra when I did that. So would it only work for me, since it's my chakra?"

"If you want the technicalities, I sealed a portion of your chakra inside it, so it would work best for you, but people with similar chakra natures and patterns can also work it well. Everybody's chakra, just like their fingerprints, are unique," Kiku said. Then she took a breath and hesitated. "Normally, I would have you start off with simple bamboo sticks. But under the circumstances, I have been instructed to speed you up a bit."

"Oh. Okay. Of course," Sarada said, half listening while she kept exploring the sword's capibilities.

 _Of course?_ Kiku thought, narrowing her eyes. _Well, of course the Guardians would love to have Sarada appear as the object of their dreams. Honestly, though, Sarada is pretty far away from even having a shred of power like those of the First. I don't even know why the Saito clan keep their vendetta against the Uchiha,_ Kiku thought, replaying the day's events. The Second had suggested locking her up for interrogation, with threats, ever since he saw the crest on Sarada's back. _The First has long since disappeared, and she would be long dead by now._

 _If Sarada did have such power, the Saito would probably be dead, too._ Kiku smiled dryly. _The gods that have once stood among us. Do they now? Sarada clearly has a Sharingan, bur it is underdeveloped. A very large margin of power from the First, but she was the granddaughter of the Sage and daughter of the infamous Indra Ootsutski…_

Kiku bit her lip, deep in thought. The Council's theory that she might have gotten some of the First's powers was not impossible, though it was highly unlikely, especially since Sarada didn't have a Mangekyo, much less even a fully developed Sharingan. Her chakra systems were also underdeveloped; they probably wouldn't be able to handle the stress of using such power, though her chakra control was notably good. Most likely, some other force had activated the Portal. But what was it?

"Kiku-san?" Sarada asked loudly.

"No need to raise your voice," she said frowning. "I can hear you fine."

Sarada stared, unblinking. Kiku looked uneasily into her eyes. What secrets did they hide?

"Kiku-san… You weren't responding. I called you several times already. Is there something wrong?"

Kiku turned her back to Sarada. "It's nothing," she replied softly, walking towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow for your training. Get up by 6:00, and dress comfterably. You don't have to bring anything but your sword, m'kay?"

"Yes, Sarada replied, sheathing the sword and setting it on the table. "Should I wear these?" Sarada asked, picking up the small box of lenses.

"There won't be need for them just yet. Your glasses are fine. Anything else?"

"No. Thank you. _Oyasuminasai_ , Kiku-san," the girl said as she removed her glasses and folded them on the bedside table.

" _Oyasuminasai_ ," Kiku responded, flicking off the lights and closing the door in a trance as Sarada shifted in the bed, clutching the blanket. She watched the bar of light cast from the outside the door shrink into a long line, before the door closed firmly in its frame.

 _Sarada's very… trusting_ , Kiku thought as she started down the stairs. Yes, the girl was certainly interesting. She was carefree and animated at times, yet she was also sensitive and observant, or quiet and brooding. _Polar attitudes_ , Kiku thought, suddenly amused. Perhaps that was why she took a liking for the girl? Her interesting, two sided personality? Kiku pondered for bit, but she felt that something about Sarada's character just didn't piece together properly. _She acts dramatically at times. No, not really, actually. She's loaded with genuine feelings. Like a dam threatening to spill over. But she holds the water back constantly_. Kiku automatically sat herself onto the couch when she walked the final few steps down. For a few minutes, she sat there, recalling everything from her rather short time spent with Sarada as she tried to sort out and define Sarada's character. Then, after exhausting what seemed like the last few memories of the child, and herself, the word finally bubbled to the surface of Kiku's mind as she drew the line that seemed to be so obvious once she brought it out.

 _Distant._

 _That's how Sarada acts._

 _That's how I acted, too. Before she came around._

 _That is why we can bond._

It was ironic, but all the same, it was the isolation of the two that brought them close together.

 **Author's Note:**

 **tenketsu - chakra points**

 **Oyasuminasai - good night**


End file.
